Always on my Mind
by jess2002
Summary: Written with Siobhan! He said I had no life before him. He said that he was my past present and future. I couldn't remember life before him so he must be right. He promised that he would never leave me, but one day that all changed.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! This is the new story that Siobhan and I are writing together! We have both been and still are working very hard on this story! Huge thanks go out to toocute24 and teamalltwilight for all their help! If this story isn't for you, check out what the two of them have written.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! This story is going to be dealing with kidnapping, brainwashing, physical and mental abuse. This is an olderward story, but Bella's age will not be revealed for a while. If you ask, you will not get an answer!

We hope you enjoy this story! We own nothing but the plot!

I sat on the hard wooden bench and picked at my fingernails nervously. When my right ring finger began to bleed lightly, I quickly stopped and began bouncing my foot on the hardwood floor beneath me instead.

"Relax, Dear," Esme said quietly, placing her hand on my knee gently to get me to stop my fidgeting.

I nodded my head but said nothing in return. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I might hurl all over everything. Esme clicked her tongue, and I looked over to see her shaking her head, giving me a sad smile.

"Don't go injuring yourself, now," she chided gently, lifting the finger that had started to bleed.

I watched as she took a tissue out of her purse and wet the tip of it with her tongue before gently applying it to the bleeding area to make it stop. Her hands were warm as they covered my own, and I leaned onto her arm, grateful for her presence. Once the bleeding had stopped to her satisfaction, she brought out a Band-Aid and wrapped it around my finger, pressing a soft kiss to the tip.

"There," she whispered. "All better."

"Thank you, Mom," I smiled.

I curled into her side on the uncomfortable bench as she wrapped one arm around my shoulders, allowing me the comfort that I so desperately needed at this time. On her other side sat Carlisle, and as I caught his eye, he offered me his hand which I took eagerly in my own, squeezing his palm in thanks.

"Are you ready for this, Isabella?" he whispered, looking around us to make sure no one was listening in.

"I think so," I said with a frown.

"Good girl," he praised, lifting my hand to his lips and giving my fingers a kiss.

Our attention was diverted then as they called for us to enter the courtroom. I was sure that my knees would give out on me at any moment, but I managed to hold out for those few seconds until we were granted the opportunity to sit once again. But then my breath caught in my throat and I whimpered softly, causing Esme to grab my hand once more in support. He was here. His orange jump suit made him stick out like an alien in a room full of humans, and his hair was more crazy than usual. Here was the man that had haunted my dreams; the man that changed everything for me. He was all I had. He was all I needed. He was my life.

I nervously began to play with the ring on my left hand, twirling it around my finger by the diamond. I kept my eyes trained on the back of his head, not even listening to the chatter surrounding us. Suddenly, he looked around and his piercing green eyes found mine. My heart raced and my palms became sweaty. Only he could have that effect on me. My husband, Edward.

This story will update every Monday. So that is when chapter one will be posted!


	2. Chapter 2

WOW! The response of this story has been awesome! I was not expecting that with this first chapter. I hope you all stick around for the whole ride because it will be worth it!

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"A middle-aged man, James Hunter, was found dead this morning in an alleyway behind the local Costco. Hunter was one of the lead suspects in a string of rapes from the last year. FBI Agents believe that he was murdered by a vigilantly, though, who they have now dubbed 'The Crusade Killer.' Nancy Davis has more on this story. Nancy?"

I rolled my eyes and began cleaning up the beer cans that littered the coffee table and floor. My Dad, Charlie, on the other hand, had something to say about this 'Crusade Killer'.

"This douche bag can take a hike. Someone should find the fucker and kill him," he said darkly, tipping the rest of his beer into his mouth. "Men like that killer have no place here. I say let the guys like me live our lives. What we do to our women is our own goddamn business," he growled, crushing the can and throwing it at me.

Luckily, Charlie had crappy aim on a good day, but when he was drunk, he was completely backwards. The can that he had aimed at me sailed about four feet to my left and landed less than a foot away from his recliner chair. I made a non-committal hum, but didn't look up from gathering the trash. My dad wasn't talking to me anyway. He was just talking to hear his own voice and to let me know, again, how he viewed me and women in general. We were property…possessions, but not nice possessions. More like something that was a burden that he had to care for constantly. If it weren't for the money Charlie received from the state for me after my mother's death, I know that he would have kicked me out long ago.

As it was, I dreaded and yet couldn't wait for my eighteenth birthday. At eighteen, I could move out and never see this man again, but at the same time, I would have nowhere to go. College wasn't an option for me. I didn't have that kind of money, and my dad made too much to qualify for any kind of financial aid that wouldn't have to be paid back. Call me crazy, but the idea of spending years in college, borrowing loan after loan to make it through, only to have to pay it back the rest of my life later on, did not appeal to me in the slightest.

"You women all expect too much," my dad continued on with his rant. "Wanting shit all the time, yet never giving back. I have my own goddamn needs, too, and I don't need to be trying to take care of yours, as well."

I nodded my head once more, glad when the last can was picked up. The faster I could make my escape to my bedroom, the better off I would be. Charlie had the weekends off, but he would be gone before I left for school in the morning. One good thing about Charlie was that he was a dedicated employee to the Police Station. He hardly ever missed work or called in sick. Even if he did go into work with a hangover ninety percent of the time.

After disposing of the trash, I made my way to the living room for what I hoped would be the last time tonight.

"I'm heading to bed," I said softly. "Is there anything else you need before I go?"

I wasn't asking because I genuinely cared. I was asking because if I didn't, that was considered an offense punishable by belt, and I did whatever it took to avoid the belt.

"No," he muttered. "Get to bed and make sure you're up in time for school."

"Yes, Sir."

~~~~AOMM~~~~~~

"Did you see his face?"

"And so, I was like, totally caught, and now I'm like, freaking grounded forever."

"It's always so fucking cold here. I feel like I should be an eskimo."

I made my way through the hallways of David Douglas High School, ignoring the conversations that took place around me. David Douglas High was just like any other High School, I imagined. You had your jocks, your preps, your popular crowd, and then you had people like me - the undesirable kids. The ones that were happiest when we were ignored. But that was just how we wanted it. No one gave us attention, good or bad. My goal in high school was to make it out alive and without anyone knowing about what truly went on behind closed doors. And with almost twenty-eight hundred kids in this high school alone, that goal was fairly easy to maintain. I was just a number. Another body in the crowd. And that was just the way I wanted it.

The week passed quickly, with almost no interaction with Charlie, and I felt like things were finally beginning to look up. My grades were great and the school year was coming to an end. I even had one particular teacher send me home with a paper for Charlie to sign to give his permission to move me into a college level AP class next year.

That night, I made Charlie's favorite dinner - Beef Stroganoff - in hopes to keep him somewhat happy. Happy enough to sign my form, at least.

While waiting on dinner, I quickly finished up my homework and set the table. I was just reaching into the fridge for Charlie's beer when I heard the front door close. I shut the fridge quickly and watched as my dad hung up his gun belt and took off his jacket. I grabbed my paper and sat down at the table, waiting for Charlie to pick up his plate and take it to the living room. As he reached for his plate, his eyes caught mine before they slid to the paper I was grasping in my right hand.

"What's that?" he asked gruffly.

"It's um, a form," I stuttered, holding it out for him to take. "It's for you to sign."

Before I could even blink, Charlie knocked the paper from my hand, forcing my entire arm to fly to the right. I cried out in pain as shocks ran up and down my arm, while I quickly cradled it to my chest.

"What the fuck did you do?" he yelled, forgetting his plate and coming after me instead.

I cringed away from him as his hand shot out and grabbed a fist full of my hair, yanking my head back so that he was towering over me. I had no choice but to look up at him.

"I didn't do anything!" I cried. "It's for a class they want me to take next year."

Charlie released his grip, but not before knocking the side of my head with his palm.

"You don't need another class," he said, picking up his plate and making his way to the living room.

I knew better than to argue. Instead, I cried silently and got up to throw my dinner in the trash. I wasn't hungry any longer. As I rinsed my plate, the hairs on my arms stood up on end, and I got a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something wasn't right. My heart began to beat erratically, and I glanced up and out the window in front of me that looked out over the side of our house. I looked left and right, but didn't see anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

"Jesus Bella," I muttered darkly, "get a grip."

But that feeling didn't disappear overnight, or even throughout the next week. Goosebumps randomly covered my skin and I was constantly scanning the areas around me, looking for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing to see, though. As I was walking to school on a Monday morning, I couldn't help but to glance behind me after every few feet. That same feeling of dread followed me all the way to school.

"I need to get more sleep," I muttered to myself as I walked into the school.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Bella, please stay after class for a moment when the bell rings," Mrs. Goffery called out seconds before the final bell was about to sound.

There was a chorus of 'oohs' that made me blush ten shades of red, and almost every head in the class turned to glance at me. Luckily the bell rang not ten seconds later, and the rest of the students stampeded towards the door and to their freedom. I quietly gathered my books and made my way to the teacher's desk, already knowing what she was going to say.

"Do you have the paper for me, Dear?" she asked gently, smiling at me over her half-moon glasses.

Mrs. Goffery was everything I believed a grandmother would be. She had white hair that came down to her shoulders, wore glasses, and always spoke in a kind, soft voice. Even when her students would become rowdy, she never raised her voice. She just continued talking in a normal tone until the class had to settle down to hear her. She was very motherly to every student, and never held a grudge against the ones that acted out once in a while.

She was my favorite person.

"I thought about it over the weekend," I replied, wringing my hands. "And I just don't feel like I'm ready for that kind of class."

I kept my gaze down, unwilling to look Mrs. Goffery in the eyes. I hated lying to her. And I was mad at my Dad. This class was something I strived for. I worked my ass off this year to qualify for it, and now that I finally had my chance at it, it was taken away from me in the blink of an eye. But of course I couldn't tell her that. I couldn't let on to her how much this class meant to me. She would for sure call Charlie, and then he would just tell her some bold faced lie about not getting the paper. The only good thing that would come from that scenario would be that Charlie would feel threatened and would sign the paper and act like the doting father for that moment. Then I would get to take the class next year.

But at what price? My inner voice asked.

"Why do you feel like you aren't ready?" Mrs. Goffery asked, sounding surprised.

I winced at the tone of surprise and continued on with my well-rehearsed story.

"I don't feel like I would be able to keep up," I lied. "I think I would be better off if I waited. I don't want to burn myself out."

Mrs. Goffery didn't say anything for a few seconds, and I finally looked up to see her eyeing me speculatively. She didn't believe me. I held my breath as I waited for her to call me out on my lie…to question me. To make my will crumble and admit everything to her. But it never came.

"Very well, Dear," she said sadly, giving me a small smile. "If you insist."

I breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled back sadly in return. "I do. Thank you for the opportunity, though," I said.

On the walk home from school, I let my tears fall unchecked down my face. There was no one around me to see. No one around me to care. And for that brief moment, I allowed myself to cry. To feel the sadness at being denied something I desperately wanted. Once in a while, I felt like this was the story of my life. I would want something so badly, and that something would make me so happy, but then it would just be gone. I was sure I was never going to be happy.

The feeling of being followed came over me once more, but I didn't care. I checked behind me once in a while, but like every other time, there was nothing there. I made it home safely and bolted the door behind me. The feeling was getting stronger and I didn't understand it. I even second guessed myself about bolting the door; I could easily let someone take me away, someone who might care about what happened to me. Sighing, I kept the door locked, stashed my school bag, and began yet another night of cooking and cleaning up after Charlie.

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Thanks to our girls for all their help! These chapters will get longer as we move on.


	3. Chapter 3

First off we would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who are reading and to those of you that have reviewed. Of course huge hugs go to teamalltwilight and toocute24 for all the help they give us!

Monday will always be the day we post! We've had a few people ask so I just wanted to let you all know. This is where the chapters start to get larger. Hope you all enjoy them!

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"I have to work after school today," I said to Charlie from the doorway. I learned long ago to stay at least an arm's length away whenever possible.

Unfortunately, I seemed to have caught my dad on a bad day. It was Friday, and I was due at school in twenty minutes. Normally I would happily walk the few miles to the school, but like usual, the rain continued to pour down with no end in sight.

"I fucking hate your voice! It's likes nails on a chalkboard to me," Charlie said, throwing his empty beer can at me.

I didn't bother trying to block the can as it hit my leg weakly. I guess he hadn't been drinking for very long this morning. I groaned under my breath and checked my watch once more. If I left now I could make it before first period started.

"I can walk," I sighed. "But will you be able to pick me up?" I asked.

"You are such a stupid, nagging fucking bitch! Just like your waste of a mother. I hate you. You can walk your fat ass around. There's somewhere else I need to be," he said, standing up.

I felt the blood drain from my face at the mention of my deceased mother. She was a respectable human being, unlike the piece of shit that was standing in front of me.

"Do you see the pouring ass rain outside?" I asked, raising my voice and pointing a shaky finger to the window.

As soon as the swear word that left my mouth, I knew what was coming. Charlie was fast in his old age, and he flew at me like a speeding bullet. Before I had time to react, his hand was slamming across my face. The force of the hit put me into the wall.

"Speak to me like that again and I will knock your fucking teeth out!" he yelled in my face. "I wish you would just fall off the face of the earth!"

I immediately held up my hands in the universal sign of surrender. I could take the verbal abuse that Charlie spat out, but the hitting...I hated it. At times I didn't feel like I was strong enough to go on and endure it day after day, night after night. Sometimes I wished for death, feeling that it would be easier. Even suicide had crossed my mind a time or two, but I felt like that would be too easy. Instead, I chose to remain where I was and hope. I truly wanted a better life, and I was hoping to get it one day.

"God, I fucking hate you!" he spat. "Keep up with that attitude and you can walk everywhere, which is what your fat ass needs right about now."

I nodded my head but said nothing more. At least he was giving me a ride. I picked up my bag and put on my jacket, making sure to keep my hood up before I walked outside to Charlie's car. Charlie liked to drive his police cruiser around the clock, so he didn't even own a separate car. I was pretty sure he just liked to feel important. He probably shouldn't even be driving, but he truly hadn't had that much to drink this morning. I just had to hope that he wouldn't hurt anyone but himself if something happened.

~~~~~…..~~~~~

After school, I had to high tail it to my job at the grocery store. I ran through the streets, avoiding the puddles when it was possible. I was able to pace myself and make it to work on time without getting docked any of my hours for being late. With no transportation to my job, running was my only option. Plus, working at the local grocery store had many benefits. I was kept in the back stocking shelves, and that was just how I liked it. Being in the back meant that I had minimal contact with customers. I wasn't afraid of people by any means; I just wasn't a people person. I didn't like when people were rude; they reminded me of Charlie, and I certainly didn't want to wait on people that barked orders at me. I had enough of that at home. I didn't want to deal with it at work as well. Working gave me the extra cash that I needed. As soon as I was old enough to do any kind of work, I was on my own when it came to getting feminine products, clothes, and other necessities like that.

Even with a heavier rain fall than I had planned on, I made it to work in time and was able to complete my full shift. Unfortunately, after this morning's spat with Charlie, I wasn't feeling very well. My stomach was in knots, and while I figured it was because of being hit this morning, I also felt like it was something more. I was probably overly tired. I hadn't been sleeping well, and I had this horrible feeling that someone was watching me. The feeling of being watched never left me, and it was really starting to freak me out. As I continued on with my shift, I would occasionally look out the window, only there was nothing there to see besides the rain. I didn't understand the feeling I was having, but I knew it needed to stop.

Charlie wasn't in the parking lot when my shift ended, but I really wasn't surprised. He had given me a ride this morning, which was much more than I could have hoped for. Luckily, the rain had turned into a light drizzle, so walking home wouldn't be much of a problem.

"Hey, Tinker Bell, is your ride here yet?"

I jumped and looked back to see Marshall, a fellow stocker, watching me carefully as I scanned the parking lot one last time.

"My friend said she might be able to pick me up today, but it looks like she wasn't able to make it," I explained, blushing and looking away quickly.

I hated lying, but I found that the lies came more quickly and easier than ever before.

"Want me to give you a ride home?" he asked, pulling out his keys. "Or you can use my phone to call your dad if you'd like."

I quickly began shaking my head while pulling up the hood on my jacket, hoping for a quick escape.

"I'll be fine," I promised. "I don't live far from here, anyway."

With that, I turned and began to quickly walk home. I was a block away from my house when the rain picked up. As soon as the house was in sight, I hauled ass to the front door. I wanted to scream at Charlie for not bothering to pick me up, but I knew that wouldn't accomplish anything. Instead, I glared at his cruiser parked in the driveway as I quickly unlocked the door and entered the house. I shook off the rain from my coat and hung it where it belonged. I brought my bag to the kitchen and headed for the cupboards to see what we had to eat. I doubted Charlie had fed himself yet, so I needed to get started on dinner before he decided to make his presence known.

A throat clearing made me gasp and turn around, my hand clutching at my heart. I expected to see Charlie standing behind me, waiting to strike. He always did have a perverse sense of humor when it came to catching me off guard. I wasn't prepared, however, to see a stranger sitting where Charlie normally sat at our kitchen table.

The man had strange colored hair, with dark green eyes that seemed to stare right through me. I couldn't tell how tall he was since he was sitting down, but judging from the long legs, I knew he would tower over me. He was an attractive man, no doubt about that, and he looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. But, what was he doing in my house?

"Who the fuck are you?" I asked, willing myself to breathe deeper.

"Don't swear, Bella, it makes you ugly," the man said calmly, giving me a slight smirk.

I swallowed loudly and began edging around the table, hoping to make it to the front door.

"Who are you?" I asked again softly, trying to remain somewhat polite.

I took another step back as the strange man stood up, pushing his chair back in.

"You need to come with me," he said, flashing a badge.

From the quick glance that I got of the badge, I recognized the State of Washington's logo on the front, but why would an officer from Washington State want me to go with him?

"Why?"

"So I can keep you safe," he said as if I should have known.

I swallowed once more before whispering, "Why?"

"Do you like living here?" he asked, moving closer to me.

"This is my home. Charlie?" I yelled as I hastily walked into the living room.

"Like he would protect you," the man said with a chuckle.

"You need to leave," I demanded.

"You need to come with me," he countered, grabbing me by the arm and walking me toward the front door.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" I exclaimed, trying to desperately free my arm from his clutches.

"You are, and you are going to come with me willingly," he snapped.

"Like hell I am. HELP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

He was quick to cover my mouth and held me tight to his body.

"Shut up or I will kill you," he said into my ear.

Tears began to leak from the corners of my eyes, and I struggled to get him to loosen his grip from my mouth. I didn't want to die.

"We are going to walk out to the car and you are not going to say a word," he commanded, still holding on to me tightly and yet his voice never rose in anger.

Knowing that I had few options at this point, I did as he said and went quietly with him as he led us out to his car. He kept one arm wrapped tightly across my chest, while his other hand kept my mouth covered. I could barely walk because my body was shaking so badly. As he placed me gently in the passenger seat of the car, I began to beg.

"Please don't kill me," I whispered, tears running down my face.

"I'm not going to kill you," he replied, catching my falling tears with his thumbs and brushing them away. "I just needed you to come with me without a fight."

With that, he closed the door quietly and made his way to the other side of the car. My hands immediately found the door handle and pulled. I wasn't surprised to find that the child lock on the door had been set. I wouldn't be able to open it from the inside.

I gasped as the door on his side of the car opened. I whipped my head around to face him and try to get myself out of this situation.

"I won't say anything, I promise. Please, just let me go," I begged as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

I wept openly as he took my wrist and handcuffed me to the shifter between us.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered, my tears making tracks down my face.

I flinched away as he brought his hand up once more to wipe away the offending tears. We both stared at one another for what felt like minutes before he slowly brought his hand down to rest on the steering wheel.

"That reason right there is why I'm doing this," he said quietly, starting the car.

Not knowing what to say, I turned my head towards the window and looked back at the house that I had grown up in. Would I ever even see it again? We drove for what seemed like forever as I tried to calm myself down. The man didn't try and talk to me, and I returned the favor. He would occasionally glance my way, but I made it a point not to turn around or acknowledge him. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the glass. Sometime later, my eyes popped open as we pulled off onto a dirt road. Both of us were shaking in our seats as we traversed the bumpy road. I had stopped crying, but I was still petrified that I was about to meet my end.

I couldn't make out anything in the dark, and with the cloud cover and the night, it was impossible to see anything that wasn't two feet in front of your face. It didn't stop me from looking out the window desperately, though. As the car slowed down, we pulled up to a cabin that only had one light on, illuminating the porch. It was like something from my worst nightmare. My heart began to beat erratically once again, and my breathing was labored. He was going to kill me.

"There's no need to be afraid," he said quietly as he put the car into park.

I let out a terrified squeak as he un-cuffed the cuff that was attached to the shifter, leaving the other attached to me. He looked up at me once more before getting out of the car and walking over to help me out.

Not even forming a plan, I acted on pure instinct. The second he opened up the car door, I pushed it into him with my body and began to run. I had no idea where to go, but going away from the cabin seemed like my best bet.

"Help!" I screamed. "Somebody help me!"

I screamed once more before I felt another body collide with my own, and big, warm hands wrap around me like a vice.

"You are in so much trouble," he said harshly, digging his fingers into my arms.

I screamed once more at the top of my lungs, but all I was met with was his sinister laugh.

"Yell as much as you want. There is no one out here to hear you," he taunted.

Hearing that just made my tears start up again as I struggled futilely against his hold. He managed to unlock the front door without letting go of me, and then he pushed me inside roughly.

"I will do anything; just don't kill me, please!" I begged yet again.

I was beginning to see that there would be no end in sight for me. This man was faster and stronger than I was, and he had the added advantage of knowing his surroundings and where we were. There was nothing left for me to do except give in to him if I wanted to make it out of here alive.

"You want to live?" he asked, staring down at me.

I fell to the ground in a heap and sobbed.

"Yes!"

I heard his boots stomp over to where I was, and gasped in pain as he lifted my head by grabbing a fistful of my hair.

"Fine. Repeat after me. You are all I have."

"What?" I asked shakily, not understanding.

"Say it!" he demanded, shaking me.

"You…you are all I have," I said as I cried.

"You are all I need," he whispered menacingly.

"You are all I need," I repeated.

"You are my life now, Edward."

I was crying too hard to speak. My eyes closed as his hands continued to pull my hair harder. I had no choice. The only thing that made me feel slightly better was that I knew the name of my captor.

"You are my life now, Edward," I whispered.

"Again!" he demanded. "Say it again."

"Y-You are my life now, Edward," I whispered.

He made me say that particular phrase more times than I could count, and each time one of those vile phrases came out of my mouth, I felt my spirit crumble while his smile would get bigger and bigger, as if he loved the words I was saying to him.

Why would he be all I would have? I didn't have him, I was stuck with him. He kidnapped me. He was holding me against my will. What kind of sane person would do that?

You are all I need. How do I need my captor?

You are my life now, Edward. With my emotional state of mind right now, I couldn't even concentrate on that one. Was he trying to tell me something?

"Sit," he ordered as he pushed me onto a worn sofa.

I hadn't even had a chance to look at my surroundings, instead focusing solely on the man in front of me.

"Why are you doing this? Who are you?" I asked again.

"Say it again," he demanded as I hiccupped. "All of it this time."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I whispered, as his smile grew.

"Good girl."

I continued to sniffle, looking at the man who still had that strange, scary smile plastered on his lips. He, Edward - if that was his name, looked truly frightening in that moment and all I could do was cry harder at the turn my life had taken in just a few short hours.

"You shouldn't cry," he admonished me lightly, moving to sit next to me on the sofa.

"And why shouldn't I?" I mocked. "You've taken me from my home. From my father!"

Thinking about Charlie was the wrong thing to do, though, because I burst into another set of body wracking sobs. I felt so guilty. Living with Charlie was hell, and I used to beg and pray to any god that would listen, to help me escape from his abuse - no matter what cost. I didn't care if it meant living or dying, I just wanted to escape.

Now that I had, I was completely confused. I was almost…thankful to this strange man for taking me against my will, for rescuing me from the hands of my father...but then I was angry. I was angry for feeling gratefulness for this man, because he did take me against my will. He kidnapped me! I was supposed to be blinded by hate and fear. Not crying because I was grateful to him. How much more fucked up could this situation get?

Edward rose at that moment and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I have taken you from him," he agreed easily with a bite of anger in his voice. "But that man was no father. A father does not treat his little girl the way he treated you. I don't expect you to understand it right now, but in time, you will see. You'll see that I saved you from a terrible fate."

"Is that what you tell yourself when you wake up every morning?" I seethed. "That you are simply saving all the poor, pitiful girls of the world that they don't know any better?"

I moved to stand up, but before I could even place both feet firmly on the ground, Edward was once again towering over me.

"I don't expect you to understand, Little Girl," he snapped, "but I do expect you to show me respect. And talking back is not showing me that. You have a lot to learn and a short amount of time in which to do it in, so I suggest you pay close attention and take heed of what I tell you."

Startled by his sudden proximity, I fell back against the cushion and looked up at him in fear.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered.

"Say it," he demanded.

My brows furrowed in confusion as Edward let out an aggravated sigh.

"Say. It," he gritted. "Christ, you are supposed to be smart."

"I don't know what you want me to say," I whispered, tears falling once more.

"You are all I have," he reminded me, running his fingers through my hair.

"You are all I have," I said, not blinking, not wanting to lose the eye contact with him in case he made any sudden movements.

"You are all I….?" he questioned, waiting for me to pick up where he left off.

"You are all I…" I trailed off, biting my lip in nervousness.

I forgot. Three simple statements and I couldn't even remember what they were, even though he had drilled them into my head over and over again for the last hour.

"Need!" he yelled. "You are all I need."

Another sob tore from my throat as I quickly tried to rectify my mistake.

"Need!" I yelled, pushing myself back further into the cushion. "You are all I need."

"What else?" he asked, his calm voice back in place.

"You are my life now, Edward," I said, too afraid to even move.

"Perfect, Bella," he praised, smiling widely. "Remember those sentences, and repeat them in your head at all opportunities. They will be your lifeline."

My lifeline? What was that supposed to mean? I swallowed audibly and nodded my head. Agreeing with him seemed to be my safest bet.

"Are you Edward?" I asked suddenly.

I snapped my mouth closed and felt the blood rush to my face. My body tensed and I immediately prepared myself for a slap, or some other kind of physical violence. To my surprise though, that didn't happen. His hand met my face, but not in the threatening way I was expecting. Instead, he chuckled as he used his knuckles to graze across my cheek bone.

"Yes, I'm Edward," he said. "And you're exhausted. Let's get some sleep and we'll talk more in the morning."

His hands moved to mine as he helped pull me to my feet. As I stood up, my bladder made itself painfully known, and I looked around the dark room for any signs of a bathroom. Then again, we were in the middle of nowhere. Would there be an outhouse? Oh, please don't let there be an outhouse, I silently prayed.

"Um, Edward?" I asked timidly. "Where's the bathroom?"

Edward looked at me for a few seconds, his eyes traveling down to my crossed legs and back up to the desperate look on my face.

"I really need to go," I said, hoping to move him along to point me in the right direction.

"Then perhaps you should have worded your needs differently," he said, moving me back to the sofa.

I sat down once more and winced at the pain that shot through my abdomen. If he was going to play games with me then he was going to have a soiled sofa cushion in a minute.

"Please point me in the direction of a washing facility where I might relieve my needs," I snapped, mocking him.

Edward's eyes narrowed and he leaned over me, putting his nose an inch from my own. My eyes were wide as I tensed; waiting to see what he would do next. I glanced to my left as I saw his hand rise and jumped in surprise when I felt his fingers flick the corner of my mouth. It had a sharp sting to it, but a second later it was gone.

Did he just flick me?

"Watch your attitude, Little Girl," he warned. "If you need to use the bathroom, you ask me for permission to go. You will not be going anywhere, even the restroom, without me by your side…understood?"

"Permission?" I squeaked.

Edward nodded and helped me up once more, for what I hoped would be the last time tonight. As we stood there, I could hear owls hooting in the darkness and the sound of leaves rustling from the trees outside. But right now, none of that mattered. All that mattered was getting to a toilet before I exploded all over myself.

"Will you please show me where the restroom is?" I asked, looking up at him and trying to gauge his reaction.

My hope fell as Edward crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head at me. That wasn't what he was looking for.

I tried again.

"May I please use the restroom?" I asked, my voice straining to be polite at this point.

Edward smiled then and I released the breath I was holding in relief.

"Yes you may," he replied, grabbing my arm at the top and leading me out of the room we were in and down a little hallway.

I tried tugging my arm out from his grasp only to have his fingers tighten, digging painfully into my skin. He stopped suddenly, and with his free arm reached through the dark and flipped a switch, lighting up the small hallway and a bathroom. I almost cried in relief as he let go of my arm and I hurriedly brushed past him into the doorway. I moved to close the door behind me only to have Edward's foot blocking the path.

"No, Bella," he scolded, "you keep this door open so I can see you."

"You want to watch me pee?" I asked in complete shock. "That's sick."

Edward down right laughed at that and my face immediately flamed red.

"I don't particularly want to watch you pee," he said, still laughing. "But, I will watch you do everything until I fully trust you not to make a run for it."

I looked from him to the toilet sitting in the corner. Could I hold it 'til morning? Or at least until he fell asleep?

"Go to the bathroom, Bella," he sighed.

I nodded my head and silently went to the toilet. Keeping my eyes trained on his the entire time, I carefully pulled down my pants and panties, trying to show as little skin as possible. However, once I was seated, I found that I couldn't make myself go. Our eyes stayed locked with each other's, and I was relieved when his didn't leave mine to look anywhere else on me, but my blush was back in full force.

"I can't do it," I whispered.

"You better. You won't get another chance until morning. And if you pee the bed, I'll make you lay in it," he threatened.

After a few more seconds of an intense staring contest, I closed my eyes and thought about the bathroom back home. With a shut door. To my surprise it worked, and I kept my eyes shut tightly until I finished. After cleaning myself up, I maneuvered carefully once again so that Edward didn't get any more of a show.

Once my hands were washed, I was back to looking at him, waiting to see what to do next. The way his lips curled in a slight smirk made me wary, and I couldn't help but to take a step backwards.

"Let's go to bed," he said, holding out his hand.

My automatic response was to take another step back.

"Together?" I asked shakily.

"I won't even let you go to the bathroom alone," Edward laughed. "You really think I'm going to let you sleep alone?"

I shrugged and walked back towards him, ignoring the hand that was still in front of me. To my frustration, Edward simply grabbed my arm once more, rougher than I deemed necessary. I forced myself to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth as he opened up another door, flipping on yet another light. Only this time, the room in front of us was a bedroom. There was a king-sized bed sitting in the middle of the room with a round carpet lying on the ground in front of it. There were also two dressers - one on each side of the bed - which looked as if they were hand made. They were beautiful.

"If you look in the closet there is a black duffel bag," Edward said, walking to the bed and sitting down on the edge. "Get it and bring it to me."

Biting my tongue so I didn't say something that would wind up putting me six feet in the ground, I went to the only closed door in the room and opened it. My eyes immediately found the bag he was talking about. Grabbing it by its strap, I walked back to Edward and deposited the bag at his feet. Before I could move away, Edward surprised me by grabbing my arm again and standing up. His eyes were narrowed and his grip tightened.

"Say it," he demanded.

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. Clearing my throat I tried again.

"You are all I have," I whispered, praying that was what he wanted to hear.

"Say all of it. Start over," he said.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I recited perfectly.

The smile he gave me relieved me of my tension and I relaxed, knowing that at this moment he was happy with me.

"Such a good, smart, beautiful girl," he praised, brushing some of my hair behind my ear.

Not knowing what to say to that, I chose to remain silent, hoping that his touches remained on "friendly" terms.

"When someone gives you a compliment, Bella, the polite thing would be to thank them," Edward chastised.

I swallowed nervously and wet my dry lips.

"Thank you, Edward," I replied.

"Good girl," he smiled.

I held my breath as he continued to look at me until he finally turned back to the duffel bag where he rummaged around for a minute. He apparently found what he was looking for, as he turned back to me holding out a pale blue dress.

I looked at it curiously, not knowing what he wanted me to do with a dress at this time of night.

"Put this on and climb into bed," he said, putting the dress in my hands.

He must have seen the confusion on my face because he exhaled sharply and lifted my hands into the air for me. I gasped in surprise and struggled against him as he rid me of my shirt, leaving me in only my white bra. He quickly, yet gently, pulled the dress over my head, making sure to pull it down as far as it would go until it reached my knees.

"It's a nightgown," he explained. "Now, do I need to take off your pants for you, too, or do you think you can manage it?"

I moved my hair out from beneath the nightgown and scowled at him, lifting the material slightly so I could reach the button on my jeans. I stepped out of my shoes and carefully toed off the jeans, blushing brightly. Why didn't he at least look away and pretend to give me some privacy?

"Why are you staring?" I asked, bending down and picking up my jeans.

Instead of answering, Edward pointed to the bed while unbuttoning his jeans. Letting out a squeak of surprise I quickly stumbled to the bed, making sure not to look in his direction.

"You're not sleeping in here, are you?" I asked him, pushing myself onto the bed.

There was no way I was sharing a bed with that man. I would sleep on the cold hard floor before that happened.

"What do you think?" he asked, moving to the other side of the bed and pulling down the covers.

I couldn't take it anymore. A fresh set of tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I looked down at the bedspread. I flinched again as Edward's thumb came under my chin to lift my face so that we were at eye level.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, "and neither are you."

I ripped my chin from his fingers but said nothing.

"Say it again."

I shook my head and willed myself to stay strong. I was not giving into his neanderthal ways.

"I won't ask you again," Edward growled.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I whispered brokenly.

"I love that you think of me as your life," he said as I covered my face with my hands.

"I'm not saying it because I want to," I said, crying harder.

"You wouldn't say it if you didn't want to, Baby," he said as I scrambled to get out of the bed. I was over this crazy shit! Just as my hand made it to the door handle, his arms wrapped around me. "Let go of me!" I yelled. "I want to go home!"

"Why do you want to go home? Do you like to be beaten?" he asked, molding my body to his.

"I can't breathe," I gasped.

"Answer me! Do you like to be beaten?"

"No!" I said, crying even harder.

He had my arms locked to my sides and he was breathing heavily on the back of my neck. When he spoke again, his mouth was right at my ear.

"Why wouldn't you want to be with me? I would never beat you. I only want what's best for you. You said yourself that I'm all you will ever need," he said as he finally loosened his grip.

"You made me say it," I said, shaking my head in denial.

"You wouldn't say it if you didn't want to," he repeated, pulling me back to the bed. "It's time for bed."

"I don't want to sleep next to you," I said as I started to fight him again.

"Say it."

"No!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

Edward managed to sit himself on the edge of the bed and pulled me between his legs. My arms and body were leaning towards the door as I struggled to get out of his hold. In a way it was good that he didn't let go of me, because otherwise I would have crashed straight into the floor...but I had to fight him…I didn't have a choice. I knew I wasn't going to win against him, but I also knew I would die trying. To my surprise and anger, Edward didn't fight back. He only kept his grip firmly around my waist as he let me struggle against him. He knew as well as I did that there was no chance of me escaping him but he let me try anyway. I don't know how long I fought against him, but eventually all I had left in me were tears of anger. My fight was gone, my body too exhausted to continue on. Once more he said it was time for bed, and all I could do was lay limply across his lap.

"Say it, Baby," he whispered in my ear as he lay me down in the bed.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I said as I closed my eyes. "May I go to sleep now?"

"Yes," he said as I felt his hand on my leg.

I felt cold metal against the skin around my ankle, and when he let me go I tried to move my leg, realizing that he had cuffed me to the bed frame. Whoever he was, he was crazy, but I needed some sleep. Tomorrow - I promised myself - I would come up with a plan to get away.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning I woke up to a clanging sound that was much too close for comfort. It was so loud that I jumped up, scrambling to get out of my bed, thinking that Charlie was in my room. Instead, I felt a burning sensation in my ankle and tumbled halfway out of the bed, my leg stuck in place. I cried out in pain and was immediately wrapped up in a pair of warm, strong arms that pulled me from the edge of the bed and placed me securely back in the middle.

My eyes scanned the room quickly, looking for something - anything - to show me that last night was just a figment of my imagination. Instead, I found a pair of light green eyes and tousled bronze hair staring back at me.

"No," I groaned, putting my head into my hands. "No, no, no, no, no."

It wasn't a dream...or a nightmare, actually. It was all real. Edward kidnapped me and brought me to this god-forsaken cabin in the middle of nowhere. Edward's hand touching my back lightly caused me to jump in alarm. The clanging sound rang again and fire shot through my ankle. I screamed in pain this time, tears springing to my eyes.

"What is it?" Edward asked alarmed.

I opened my eyes and did my best to breathe through the pain.

"My ankle," I whimpered. "I think I sprained it."

Having had to run from Charlie on numerous occasions, and being a naturally clumsy person, I've had my fair share of sprained ankles from falling when trying to avoid a beating. So yeah, I knew what one felt like. I also knew the recovery process for one.

"It fucking hurts," I cried as Edward's hand immediately went to my ankle to check the damages.

I squeezed my eyes shut once more and was surprised when I felt his finger connect with the side of my mouth…again.

He flicked me again!

My eyes sprung open and I saw his lips pressed in a firm line, his own eyes narrowed.

"Swearing makes you ugly. If you insist on continuing to use that kind of language then I'll wash your mouth out with soap," he threatened.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

I was in too much pain to argue that point. Living with Charlie all these years had taught me to pick and choose my battles carefully. With the sharp pains shooting up and down my leg, this particular battle could be fought another time.

"I think you're right," Edward sighed. "It looks sprained. I need to get the cuff off to be able to know for sure though."

I winced as Edward pulled out a key and unlocked the cuff around my ankle carefully. His fingers felt cool on my skin, but I could already see the swelling.

"Dammit," Edward mumbled. "This will complicate things a bit."

"Complicate what?" I asked.

Instead of answering me, Edward looked at me once and then quickly rose from the bed. I let out a short scream as he suddenly swooped down and scooped me into his arms as if I weighed nothing.

"What are you doing?" I asked, wiggling around and trying to get him to put me back down.

"Carrying you to the couch," he said, pinching my thigh. "Stop squirming. I need to make breakfast for us and we need to talk. Since your foot is now out of commission, I will be carrying you wherever you need to go until the swelling goes down."

My hand that was grasping Edward's neck fell slack and I curled my other hand into a fist on my lap. Luckily the walk to the couch only took a few seconds. I looked at it and reached out, expecting to be placed down on it. Edward apparently had other ideas.

I looked back up to him to see an expectant look on his face.

"You can put me down, now," I said pointing to the sofa.

"And you can remember your manners," he said pinching my thigh again.

I hissed and immediately rubbed the area his fingers had just vacated. "Will you stop pinching me? That fucking hurts!"

I squealed as Edward's arms shifted beneath my legs so he was supporting me with only one arm. Suddenly his palm connected forcefully with my bottom, a muffled slapping sound echoing around the room. I cried out in surprise and a bit of pain as my hand immediately covered the area he had just smacked.

"You have lived with your Father your entire life and know what happens when you curse," Edward growled. "I've already given you your only warning. Next time you will get the soap on top of a spanking."

I knew my eyes had to have been huge as I took in Edward's demeanor carefully. He wasn't playing around.

"You spanked me?" I asked, still in quite a bit of shock.

"And I will do it again," he confirmed.

We stood there glaring at one another until I realized uncomfortably that not only was I still being held by this mad man, but I also needed to use the restroom…and immediately. Remembering that this whole thing started off because of my 'lack of manners,' I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I need to use the restroom," I said evenly.

There. That was full of manners in my opinion. I didn't demand that he set me down so I could walk to the bathroom, and I didn't raise my voice or kick him where I really wanted to. To me, that was an accomplishment. To Edward though, it wasn't enough.

"Okay," he said simply but didn't move an inch.

"Okay…" I trailed off.

I knew what Edward wanted, but I refused to give it to him so easily. I knew that he would more than likely break me of my attitude, but I was going to fight for as long as I could.

"Say it," Edward demanded suddenly, catching me off guard.

Before my mind could even register the thought to argue or remain silent, my mouth took off on its own. "You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward."

I gasped in surprise and covered my mouth, but it was too late. The damage had already been done. Edward's face broke into a wide grin and he hugged me even closer to his body.

"You are such a good girl," he praised. "What do you say if you need to go to the restroom?" he asked.

Closing my eyes once more, I thought about my options. Trying to escape after knocking him out cold was no longer part of the plan. I wouldn't get very far on a crippled ankle, and my focus needed to be on staying alive for right now. Sure, he said he wouldn't kill me, but the man had already kidnapped me from inside my own home. He was obviously unstable and therefore I couldn't trust his word. Already angry beyond belief at myself for slipping and giving into what he demanded so easily, I knew that I would have to bide my time and continue to keep him happy.

"May I please go to the restroom, Edward?" I whispered.

"You may," he said. His voice was showing just how happy he was with me in that moment.

I felt a flutter in my stomach from the pleased tone in his voice: the pride; something I had never heard from my own father, even with all my accomplishments. But Edward, a complete stranger, gets happy over me asking for permission for something? I wasn't sure why I felt pleased from his reaction but I did. I was sure this wasn't completely right, but I was going to do what I needed to. He confused me when he went back to the bedroom and grabbed the hand cuffs and key instead of bringing me straight to the bathroom, but I sighed and resigned myself to the fact that he was probably going to cuff me to the couch or something after I finished taking care of my bodily needs.

This morning went much like the night before. Edward stood in the doorway of the restroom, leaning against the door while I did my business. Only this time, when I finished and limped over to him, he cuffed my wrist and his own. I gasped in shock when he led me back to the toilet and pulled his penis out.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I said horrified, turning my head towards the door immediately.

I flinched and could feel my cheeks heating up at the sound of him relieving himself. This was a new creepy low for him. I heard the sound of his zipper and then felt a slight tug on my hand. Without a word, he handed me a tooth brush and I took the hint to brush my teeth. Edward squeezed some toothpaste onto the pink brush he handed me, and side-by-side, we scrubbed our teeth together. It really was refreshing to have a clean mouth. Once he was finished, he carried me back to the living room, placed me on the couch, and took the key out of his pocket to un-cuff himself. I wasn't all that surprised when he cuffed me to the arm rest of the couch. It wasn't like I was going to go anywhere and even if I tried he would be able to catch me quickly. Once I was cuffed to his liking, he took a pillow and propped my foot up before bringing me a bag of ice wrapped in a small hand towel.

I know when we were in the bedroom he said that we were going to eat, but my growling stomach reminded me that I hadn't received any food. Suddenly, Edward was back in front of me with a big bowl of cereal in hand. He sat down at the other end of the sofa, careful not to jostle my ankle. I watched as he fed himself spoonful after spoonful, never once offering me a bowl. As he continued to make satisfied noises, my hopes fell. It hit me then that he was waiting for me to ask for permission to eat, or to at least ask him for food. I was hungry, but I refused to ask for my food, and I just knew that was what he wanted. I groaned lightly and laid my head back against the cushion, doing my best to ignore him. If he wasn't going to give me any food, then I would escape him through death by starvation.

By noon I was going crazy. It was too quiet. The only time Edward talked to me was to demand that I say his stupid saying over and over again. I didn't understand what his obsession was with it, but I found myself saying it without thinking, and that scared me. He was getting to me and I didn't know how to stop it.

By mid-afternoon my voice was scratchy from lack of use and my lips were dry. I had to force my mouth to make extra saliva just to be able to continue telling him what he wanted to hear.

"You are my life now, Edward," I said scratchily for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Good Girl," he praised for the hundredth time as well. "Again."

"You are all I have."

I waited a beat for what I knew was coming.

"Excellent. And?" he asked, taking a drink of his ice water.

I licked my lips as I watched beads of water run down the outside of his glass.

"You are all I need," I whispered, watching as his Adam's apple bobbed as he drank heavily from the cup.

"Perfect, Little Girl," he praised, licking his lips and setting his cup down.

I couldn't take it any longer.

"May I have something to eat?" I blurted desperately.

Edward smirked at me and stood up from the couch.

"Sure," he said easily as he set off for the kitchen.

My bottom lip trembled and I rubbed my face with my hands, willing myself not to cry. I was hungry and overemotional right now, and that wasn't a very good combination. I gratefully took the glass of ice water from Edward with whispered thanks, chugging down its contents quickly. Once the water was gone, I set it on the table beside the sofa.

"So do I have to ask nicely for everything?" I questioned wearily.

"Wouldn't you anyway?" he countered.

I really hated it when people answered questions with a question. I didn't answer him. Instead we stared at each other and I was sitting down looking up at him expectantly.

"I don't have to make lunch for you," he said as I slouched into the couch. "Say it."

"Why? Do you get off by me saying that…whatever it is?" I asked.

"Say it," he said in a scary, sinister voice.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I said listlessly.

"Again, but mean it," he growled.

Fire suddenly coursed through my veins and I sat up. "You are all I have," I said throwing my hands in the air. "You are all I need," I shouted, emphasizing the word need. "You are my life now, Edward," I stated, throwing myself back to the couch dramatically.

"Do you think you're funny?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You think so," I retorted.

"That is enough!" he yelled as I jumped back. "Say it again, and if you say it any other way than what I want, you won't eat for days," he threatened, his voice taking on a whole new edge to it that I had never heard before.

I swallowed noisily and nodded my head; I was scared.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I whispered.

He scared me enough to say it the way he wanted, and I wasn't dumb enough to keep pressing his buttons. After saying it like I meant it, he decided to carry on a conversation with me like nothing had happened. At least I knew he could talk to me like a person.

"Ya know, I should be surprised that you didn't cry more with your hurt ankle," Edward said while he worked around the small kitchen, "but I'm not. You've always been ridiculously clumsy. A sprained ankle won't keep you down for long, though."

"May I sit at the table to eat?" I asked as he made his way to me.

He smiled at me as he picked me up from the sofa and placed me at the kitchen table. After I was seated, he placed food at the empty seat, but none in front of me. I was sure I would never understand anything he was doing. It never ceased to amaze me; I asked for permission to be set down at the table for lunch, and you would have thought that Edward just won the lottery or something. Ever since then he's had a wide smile plastered to his face, talking nonstop about how brave I've been. I knew that as long as I was polite to his standards, he would give me anything. I would have to keep that in mind. He sat at the table and I still didn't have any food in front of me.

"So," he started as he took a sip of his drink. "This how everything is going to go. If you want to eat, I will feed you after you have asked me to." I narrowed my eyes at him not understand what he was saying.

"Why?"

"Because this is how it is," he said simply. He started to eat as I started at him. I was too hungry to argue, so I asked for food. I thought I was going to cry so I started to talk.

"How did you know I was a clumsy person? Was it you that had been watching me?" I asked as we sat together at the small table.

"Your Father was a despicable man for ever laying a hand on you," Edward seethed. "But you didn't let that stop you from reaching your own goals in life. You're a straight A student, and your teachers all thought very highly of you," he praised.

I gave a slight jerk of my head, feeling uncomfortable with the turn in conversation.

"Was?" I mumbled. "Wait. How do you know all these things?"

He answered me without missing a beat. "I watched you, of course."

I felt my eyes well up with tears again. I knew I wasn't crazy. I knew that the feeling of someone watching me was real. I should have trusted my gut instinct.

"For how long?" I whispered, suddenly no longer hungry.

"A couple of months. Maybe a little longer," he said looking directly at me.

My mouth fell open. Months? That was even longer than I realized.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Edward asked, looking completely confused now.

"Why me?" I specified. "Why were you watching me?"

"Because you needed me."

"I was doing just fine on my own!" I yelled. "I didn't need you to stalk me and take me away."

Edward dropped his spoon and pointed his finger at me. "You are a very brave, very strong little girl," he agreed. "But you needed someone. You needed help."

"And you decided to play God and volunteer yourself as that someone?" I asked shakily.

"I decided to do what was right," he countered, picking the spoon back up. "Eat," he said shoving the spoon at my mouth.

"I'm not hungry," I grumbled, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Look, you've said it yourself," Edward said with a knowing smirk. "I am all you will ever need again. And you will have no reasons to want any longer. I will care for you and be your provider. You will have everything you could ever need with me."

My stomach sank and I didn't know what to think or feel anymore. I sat in the chair with my arms crossed over my stomach. I didn't want to eat, sleep, or use the bathroom with this man. This wasn't right. There was no way he was a police officer. A policeman was supposed to uphold the law, and this man was doing everything he could to break it.

"You need to eat," he said holding up a spoonful of soup.

"I'm not hungry," I repeated, swallowing hard.

I flinched reflexively as Edward stood up abruptly and walked to the edge of the table. He gripped the end of it in his hands and flipped the whole thing onto its side before I could even fully grasp that he had moved. I quickly moved from my chair and limped over to the couch, trying to get away from him. I couldn't stop the tears from falling, my breathing coming out in small pants as fear overtook my body.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly as he made his way to me. "Edward, I'm so sorry," I said as I tried to limp my way to the sofa.

"Why would you ask for something to eat and then not eat it?" he yelled, standing in front of me and blocking my path to the couch.

"I'm sorry," I said again through my tears.

I turned my back on him and as I did, his arms gripped me around the middle and he picked me up off the ground.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I sobbed over and over again, trying to get out of his grip.

He brought us back into the bedroom with me kicking and sobbing the whole way there. Once the door was shut behind us, he threw me down on the bed.

"Move and you will regret it," he said as his chest heaved up and down.

I watched in fear as he went over to a little desk in the corner of the room and pulled out a piece of paper. I didn't remove my eyes from his back as he wrote something down before turning to me.

"You're in for a treat when we get home."

"What?" I asked, not understanding what he meant.

"When we get home I have special plans for you," he said as my heart started to race. "You will have your own special place to serve out your punishments. These punishments will only be served at home. From here on out, when you are bad I will write it down, and when we get home you won't see daylight for a while. Hopefully you're a fast learner."

What did he mean by home? Were we not staying here in the cabin? Was home even here in Oregon? I cried into my hands, not even fully knowing what I was crying for. I was terrified in this moment of the unknown future. As I sat on the bed and cried, he left me in the room with the door open and I knew that at this point I would do anything to get away from him. I carefully got off the bed and limped to the door. I saw him pacing in the living room, pinching the bridge of his nose in what I knew was his sign of frustration. Knowing that this was probably my only chance, I made my way to the small and only window in the bedroom. My hands shook as I tried to open it, but it was painted shut. I cried as I pushed at the window desperately before looking around the room for something hard to break the glass with. I was cut short when an arm wrapped around my waist.

"You really can't wait to be home and in your special place, can you?" Edward asked icily before placing a quick kiss to my cheek.

I froze as his lips left my skin. My instincts were kicking in at full force, telling me to fight him with all I had left.

"Oh my God! You're going to rape me!" I screamed in terror.

For some reason that pissed him off even more, and he threw me back on the bed with a bounce. He gripped one of my wrists in his as my other hand went on the attack. My fingers dug into every inch of his skin that I could reach: pinching, hitting, and scratching wherever my fingers could find purchase.

"You really want to piss me off today!" he yelled, grabbing my other hand in his and cuffing both of my hands to the bed. "I'm done with you today."

I cried loudly, struggling against the cuffs as he got off the bed and went to add more to the list that he had made earlier. He had mentioned a special place for me and me alone, and I knew that wherever that special punishment place was, it would be better than being in the same room as him.

"I'm glad you think so little of me!" Edward said suddenly, standing at the end of the bed and glowering down on me. "If I was going to rape you, don't you think I would have done that last night? But don't worry; I won't have to rape you. When the time comes, you will be very willing."

With that, he turned off the light and left the room. Sobs overtook my body as I thought about what he had just said. What did he mean 'when the time comes'? Did that mean that he did plan on having sex with me? That thought only made me cry harder.

I would never be willing…never.

~~~~~…..~~~~~

I moaned into my pillow, pushing my head further into the fingers that were rubbing my scalp. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and looked up to see Edward looking down on me; his fingers paused in my hair.

"What are you doing?" I croaked.

"I brought you some fruit to snack on until dinner," Edward said as he resumed his rubbing.

He un-cuffed one of my wrists and then secured the cuff to the headboard. I sat up stiffly, maneuvering my shoulders around the handcuffs so I didn't pop anything out of place. I was surprised to see a plate of diced cheese and some fruit sitting at the end of the bed near Edward's knee. My stomach growled loudly then, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours. I blushed and eyed the fruit longingly, licking my lips. A gesture that Edward didn't miss.

"What do I have to do for it?" I asked quietly, already knowing that I would give him what he wanted.

"Tell me what I want to hear," he replied, holding up a green grape between his fingertips.

This time I said those dreaded words with the feeling that I knew he wanted to hear. I said them without thinking twice, knowing that once they were out there, he would hold true to his word and would give me what I wanted - what I needed.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I whispered, licking my lips and holding out my hand palm up.

Not to my surprise, Edward shifted slightly closer to me so that our knees were touching as he held the grape up to my lips. I opened my mouth hesitantly and watched him closely as he gently placed the piece fruit on my tongue. I closed my eyes as the flavor exploded across my taste buds, the tart juice sliding down my throat. I was disappointed when it was gone, and opened my eyes to see Edward watching me intently.

"May I have another one, please?" I asked on instinct.

Edward's smile lit up the room as he grabbed a piece of cheese and held it out in front of my lips just like he had done with the grape. I opened my mouth again, wider this time, and kept my eyes on his as he placed it on my tongue. Our eyes remained on one another until the plate was empty; the only words spoken were when I would ask for more food. As soon as the fruit was gone, Edward gently un-cuffed me from the bed and picked me up bridal style, setting me down at the dining room table. No other words were spoken as he set the table. My stomach still rumbled from hunger, and as I wanted to dig in, but I knew he wasn't going to let me eat on my own. I looked across the table to see Edward staring at me intently, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle.

"May I please have some food?" I asked. It didn't hurt to try.

"No. I told you I would give you everything you need," he said as he started to feed me. I felt humiliated in a way, but I was too emotionally drained to argue.

"Thank you," I said sincerely as he continued to feed me.

Was this my life now? Was I ever going to have the happy life that I thought I deserved? Was that life going to be with Edward?

* * *

Hope you all are still hanging in with this crazy ride. Thanks so much for the reviews! We love them so much.

Thanks to the girls for all their help! See you next Monday!


	5. Chapter 5

There were six hundred forty-two holes in each square of the ceiling tiles. I would know. Once again I was cuffed to the bed. For how long, I couldn't even say. My stomach was twisted in knots and my mind was replaying the scene in my head over and over again, trying to figure out how this could have been avoided.

"Say it," he demanded relentlessly.

I was tired. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. My brain wave capacity was maxed out and felt like it had been for the last four hours. Edward was ruthless. He expected perfection - accepted nothing less, and I was a far cry from what he was expecting.

"Again!" he whispered menacingly, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"You are my life now, Edward," I repeated, my voice cracking and my eyes shutting of their own accord.

"You don't mean it," he said sadly with a mock shake of his head. "Perhaps a few hours in lockdown will put things into perspective for you."

The worst part of all of this was that I didn't know what he wanted from me. Every time I asked, he would say that I was doing great. But then some days - like the day before - nothing I did or said seemed to please him. I didn't get it and it made my head spin.

It had been about a week since he had taken me…I think. With our days being monotonous, I had lost track of them completely. We didn't watch TV, listen to the radio, or even go outside, and I was quickly becoming sick of the silence that surrounded the cabin. Whenever Edward would come into the room I was in, I found myself wanting to talk to him. I never started the conversation, but if he asked me a question I would talk, and some days I couldn't seem to stop. Because of my inability to stop running my mouth, Edward was learning a lot about me without even trying. It was like I couldn't help it.

Our schedules throughout the day were always the same. We would get up, use the bathroom, and on a good day, he even let me shower - which would improve my day vastly. I was finding that the little things made my day. Even getting a glass of cold water was amazing, and having him feed me from his hand didn't seem so bad anymore, either. It was still odd, but it made Edward happy and I was able to eat. Lately though, I felt like I didn't know my own head anymore.

I was startled out of my musings by the bedroom door swinging open.

"Today is a good day, Baby," he said bursting into the room.

That was his new thing when he was in a good mood. He would call me baby, love, or sweetheart. He hasn't shown me any extra affection, but I was fine with that. The only incident we've had was when he kissed me on the cheek. I freaked out with the unwanted display of affection, which in turn caused Edward to freak out. Since then, he only touched me when he had to. I was pretty sure I had hurt his feelings, and a part of me almost felt bad for that, but did he really expect anything less?

"Why's today a good day?" I asked clearing my throat.

"Can you be a good girl?" he asked, beaming down at me.

"Yes…" I trailed off, not liking his smile.

"Do you want to get out here?" he asked.

For the first time in days, I smiled a real smile.

"I get to go home?" I asked getting to my knees. "Is Charlie looking for me?"

My smile faded quickly, though, as he narrowed his eyes at me and picked up his list from the end of the bed.

"Babe, do you understand that as of right now you are in your special place for six hours?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow in my direction.

When I realized that he wasn't going to be releasing me, I simply shrugged, not caring about my 'special place.'

"Fine," he snapped. "Make that eight hours. I'm not doing this with you today. From here on out, if you say anything relating to that douche bag, I will add two more hours to your list. I. Am. Your. Life. Now! You have told me this a thousand times, and yet you still want to go back to the man that beats you," he said raising his voice. "Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," I said looking down again.

"I'll be back," he said with a frustrated sigh.

As the door slammed shut behind him, I laid my head back down and allowed the tears to slip from my eyes, knowing that I messed up again. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was always messing up. After five minutes or so, Edward walked into the bedroom with just a towel around his waist. I covered my eyes with my hands and let out a frustrated moan. Why did he do this to me? I heard him chuckle darkly, and then I could hear his footsteps as he walked around the room. This was another thing that he liked to put me through. He liked to see me squirm.

"I don't know why you cover your eyes," he said as I peeked through my fingers towards the sound of his voice. Luckily, he was still in a towel.

"Why do you insist on walking around in a towel?" I retorted, covering my eyes back up.

I could practically hear his shrug as he got dressed.

"Because this cabin is tiny as hell, and it's either dress in the small bathroom and risk falling into the tub, or dress in here where I actually have room to move around. You might as well get used to it, though. Until you earn my trust, you will be dressing in front of me and vice versa," he said.

"And what if I decided to peek?" I replied shakily.

I doubted it would stop him, but I had to try.

"Then you would get a nice peek of what you are missing out on," he replied without missing a beat.

I huffed in annoyance but didn't dare uncover my eyes. I wasn't comfortable with this, but then again, what had he done so far that I had been comfortable with?

"Come on," he said, pulling on my hands gently and forcing me to uncover my eyes.

My eyes snapped open to see him fully dressed, thankfully. I sat up as Edward unlocked the cuff from wrist and placed my feet on the ground. He kept his hand around my elbow as support in case my ankle gave out on me. By now though, my ankle was completely fine. I didn't even have a limp.

"May I ask where we are going today?" I questioned nicely, hoping to get back in his good graces.

"Home, Love," he said with a toothy smile.

My heart sank and I felt like I already knew the answer to my next question.

"Where's home?" I asked as he led me to the bathroom.

As soon as the bathroom door was opened, my eyes immediately saw the clothes laying out on the countertop. On one side my clothes were laying there. What scared me the most, though, was that my clothes were strangely familiar. The shirt was a perfect replica of one that I had back home and the pants even had the same tear in the knee - just like my favorite pair...surely he hadn't gone through my clothes at Charlie's?

"Shower, Sweetie; we have a long drive ahead of us," Edward said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Deciding that I really didn't want to know the answer to my unspoken question, I stepped into the shower fully clothed. Once I was in the shower, I shed myself of my long shirt, tossing it out to Edward from the side before turning on the warm water and letting the spray hit me.

"So," I started again, knowing he was still in the bathroom with me. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," he said as I groaned.

"I hate surprises," I muttered, causing him to chuckle at my expense.

"You'll like this one, but we do need to talk," he said as I rolled my eyes.

We always needed to talk.

"We can do this one of two ways. We can drive through without stopping to eat or use the restroom. If you have to go to the bathroom, I'll pull over and you can pee on the side of the road…" he trailed off, letting that option sink in for me.

I really didn't like option one, but depending on the drive, that might be the lesser of the two evils.

"How long is our drive?" I asked, watching as the soap from my body ran down the drain.

"I don't know; five hours or so," he stated as I rinsed out my hair.

Five hours wasn't too bad to go without using a restroom but…

"What's the other way we can do this?" I asked.

"Be good," he said simply. "No screaming or telling people lies, or even talking to anyone else. Do as you're told, simple as that."

"And if I'm good, I'll get to eat and use a bathroom?" I asked as I washed my body again.

"Yes, but you are going to have to be perfect. You are going to have a lot to learn on this drive, and it is imperative that you never forget any of what I tell you. Can you do that for me?"

Thinking over my options, I knew that if I told him what he wanted to hear and I acted like I cared about what he said, than maybe I could find some help.

"Yes, I think so," I whispered.

"You won't have a chance to run, so get that thought out of your mind now. If you think I'm an asshole now, you don't want to see me if you try to escape," he threatened.

Goosebumps broke out along my arms and legs; in that moment, I felt any hope of escaping burst. He was never going to let me go. I knew he had the means to hurt me, and that made me want to be good. I also knew he was capable of hurting me far worse than Charlie ever could or did. I knew that my shower was over, and yet I jumped when I saw his hand inside the shower curtain. He was just turning off the water, but I was always scared he was going to touch me. I was only afraid because he said I would want him to touch me eventually, and I wasn't sure that was true. He scared me more than anything. He hadn't really hurt me like Charlie yet, but he did other things to show his strength. He liked to pinch my arms and thighs; he flicked my mouth all the time, and I had a small bruise on the corner of my lip to show for it.

Really though, the physical punishments were nothing compared to what he threatened me with daily. When a swear word would slip from my lips, he would threaten to wash my mouth out with soap; something that has never happened to me before. Or when I didn't act the way he wanted or say what he wanted to hear, he would discuss the ways he would paddle my bottom like it was nothing more interesting than the weather. The ease of which he spoke of it made me even more nervous. He talked as if he had done it before, and the idea that he had touched another girl like that made my stomach churn.

I blew out a frustrated sigh and stood behind the curtain to dry my body off. Once I was done, I wrapped my hair in the towel and stuck my hand out to retrieve my clothing. I felt some clothes being placed in my hands, and as I pulled them into the tub with me, I saw that he had handed me a bra and panty set. How he got them or knew my size really didn't shock me anymore. When he handed me my jeans, I rolled up the legs so I didn't get them wet from the tub, and once my shirt was in place, I got out carefully, holding onto his hand for support.

"Ya know, when we get home you are going to have to get used to getting dressed in front of me," he said sitting on the sink.

I bristled at the thought of getting naked in front of this man. Was he serious? "If you gave me some privacy…"

"I'm your life now; you said so yourself. I think you're beautiful," he said.

I looked up to see him looking at me intently, like he was willing me to believe the words that were pouring from his mouth. Knowing that arguing would lead me nowhere, I nodded, relieved when he smiled and gestured for me to continue on with my business. I brushed my teeth as Edward sat beside me on the counter, his eyes never straying from me or what I was doing. At the moment, I didn't want to talk though, and I welcomed the silence. As soon as I rinsed out my mouth, he cuffed me to him before working his way around the cabin to make sure he had all of our stuff packed and ready to go.

I stayed by the door as he placed everything he needed by my feet. Then, grabbing my arms tightly, he led me out to the car where he cuffed me to the gear shift once more. Knowing that escaping was futile, I watched as he loaded up the back of the car before climbing into the driver's seat himself.

"It's time to move forward to your new life, Sweetheart," he said cheerfully, leaving the cabin behind us in a cloud of dust.

I sighed but said nothing, and before I knew it, we were on the highway and Edward was holding my hand in his. The ride was quiet; he didn't even turn on the radio, but I wasn't complaining because it was nice to be out of the cabin and in fresh air again. We drove for a few hours before he finally broke the silence.

"We are going to be stopping," he said, pulling into a gas station.

I looked out the window at the people surrounding the gas pumps and walking in and out of the store, and I felt a surge of hope swell through my chest. With all these people around, there was no way he could stop me from getting the help I needed. Before I could give that line of thinking any more thought, Edward reached over to the glove box and pulled out a handgun.

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed in shock and fear.

"This is for if you aren't good," he said, cocking the gun and drawing my attention to the window. "Misbehave and that woman over there will die. Do you want that to happen?"

"NO!" I screamed, turning back to him and willing him to see the truth in my eyes. "I'll be good, I swear."

"Say it," he hissed, moving the gun to his left hand while his right hand grabbed my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward. I swear I'll be good," I said, gripping his hand tightly.

"Do not disappoint me," he said as he put his gun in the back of his pants under his hoodie.

I nodded vigorously and looked out the window once more to see the women he had pointed to a couple of seconds ago helping her toddler climb out from the side of her van. He would kill a mother? I stayed perfectly still as he un-cuffed me, not even moving until he gave the okay.

"Come on, Baby," he said with a smile, putting his arm around my shoulders.

I gasped as he pinched my arm, knowing that it was his final warning for me to behave. We walked by the woman he threatened, and I felt my stomach twist as Edward smiled and nodded at her and the little boy standing beside her. I looked away quickly, fearing that she would see the terror I was feeling in my eyes. Edward led us inside the gas station and he walked me to the bathroom door. I was happy that he didn't come in with me, but I almost expected him to.

"I'll wait for you here," he said, giving me one last meaningful look and then turning his back to guard the door.

I took my time looking around the small bathroom, seeing that there was no way to escape from in here.

But would you really try it even if there was? My subconscious asked. I shook my head, knowing that with the life of another person depending on me, I wouldn't risk it. Edward banging on the door caused me to jump. I guess I was taking too long for his liking.

I opened the door and met his glare head on.

"Did you need to go?" I asked him sweetly, knowing that he wouldn't do anything to me in a crowded area like this.

He shook his head amused, and I wondered if he went while I was in the restroom. I would keep that in mind for next time. I stayed glued to his side as he grabbed two sodas, a bag of chips, and some pizza, and pre-paid for the gas. As I got back into the car, I reached out as he handed me the food and drinks.

"Cuff yourself," he said as I pleaded with him with my eyes. "Do it," he said pinching my thigh.

Tears filled my eyes as I did as I was told. I made sure the cuff was secure, not wanting to give him any reason to go on a shooting rampage around the gas station, or something equally as horrifying. I hissed in pain at the tightness around my wrist and made sure to keep it as still as possible. He had been switching wrists, but it was still taking a toll on my skin. The pizza smell was filling the car and my stomach rumbled. I hoped he was going to let me eat, but I wasn't sure how he was going to feed me and drive at the same time. As soon as he got into the car and put his gun away, I let out a big breath.

"Um…may I have a drink?" I asked, unsure of his mood.

"Why are you hesitating?" he asked, buckling his seatbelt and looking at me.

"Because I'm not sure if you're mad at me," I said as I looked to my lap.

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because I took too long in the bathroom, and then I didn't do as you said when you said it," I explained as I looked down and away from his intense gaze.

"Fine; I'll add an hour onto your punishment time for when we get home," he said, opening a soda and handing it to me.

I internally rolled my eyes but kept a small smile on my lips. He kept referring to the place we were going to as 'home,' and it was really beginning to bother me. Surely he didn't think that my cell…or wherever he was taking me was going to become my new home? Instead of saying anything that would land me in even more trouble though, I took the soda from him gratefully and went back to staring out the window, watching the scenery pass us by.

"Thank you," I said as he took a big bite of his pizza.

As he continued to drive down the long highway, he shared his slice of pizza with me. When it came to food, I took what he offered, never knowing when I would have the opportunity again. After three slices of pizza were gone and I was comfortably full for once, Edward released my hand and moved both of his to the steering wheel, his knuckles white with tension.

"We need to discuss our story," he said, his voice hard and calculating.

"What story?" I asked, confused.

Edward shot me a look that clearly showed his frustration at my lack to keep up with his thoughts.

"I'm a prominent figure in my town," he said. "Forks is small, and gossip spreads like wildfire. I need you to know our story like the back of your hand in case someone asks you."

At that moment, he grabbed my hand in his and brushed his thumb across the back of my knuckles. "We shouldn't have that issue, but I want you to be prepared just in case, so that you're not caught off guard."

"Forks?" I asked. "Forks, Washington?"

"The one and only," Edward replied.

I pondered that for a moment. It helped knowing where I would be heading, and Forks wasn't all that far from Oregon. Getting home shouldn't be too hard.

"So...the story is that you are my girlfriend," he said as I snorted.

"Girlfriend?" I mocked. "People in a relationship tend to like one another, and they don't force the other person to be with them!" I said, laughing bitterly.

"You are my girlfriend, and when we are ready, we will get married," Edward hissed. "Don't get all defensive either, because you will want to marry me when it comes time for that."

I bit my lip to keep from crying out as he gripped my thigh in his hand, squeezing extremely hard.

"We met while I was in Portland, and you came with me of your own free will. It will be a while, but when people come around, we will show them how in love we are," he said smiling down at me.

He was being utterly serious, and that scared me more than any kind of physical punishment could.

"You will love me," he said firmly.

I nodded slowly but didn't say a word. I wouldn't have known what to say anyway. Instead, I closed my eyes and lay my head back against the headrest, willing myself to wake up from the nightmare I was living. I didn't even protest when Edward brought my hand to his, intertwining our fingers.

Edward's voice woke me up sometime later. "We only have a little ways to go now," he said gently, running his hand through my hair. "Things will be easier once we are home."

I moaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Looking outside the window, all I saw was green. Green trees, green grass…even the bark on the trees was green. There was also a slight drizzle that covered the windshield every time the wiper blades moved.

"It's very…green," I said, looking over to see Edward smiling.

Without saying a word, he took my hand again and I resumed staring out the window.

Forks, Washington was a small town from what I could see as we drove through it. My heart fluttered when we pulled into the police station. This was my chance to get away.

"I just have to check in and let them know that I'm back. You're not getting out of the car," he said as my face fell.

He tightened the cuff and I winced as the metal dug into my tender skin once more.

"It's too tight," I complained.

"Make a scene and you will be in your special place for days. No food, no drinks, and no bathroom. Test me, Bella, and see how bad your life can get," he said, clicking the cuff as tight as it would go.

My eyes widened in fear from his menacing tone, and I knew that he would not hesitate to follow through on his threats. I nodded my head in understanding as he got out of the car, locking it behind him. If I tried to get out it would sound the alarm, and there was no way I could have gotten out of the handcuffs anyway. They pinched my skin every time I moved my wrist even the slightest bit.

I watched through the windshield as Edward climbed the old looking steps up into the police headquarters. He was only in the building for a few minutes, and when he came back out, he wasn't alone. He was talking with a group of men that had followed him out, and he looked so carefree. He looked young, but older at the same time. He had laugh lines and his skin looked a little aged, but I couldn't even begin to guess how old he really was. As I was staring at him, he smiled at me and then waved, pointing to me for his friends to see. A couple of them waved as well, and not wanting to seem rude or anger Edward again, I waved back halfheartedly.

As his attention turned back to his buddies, I rolled my eyes and tried to look away, but I couldn't stop watching him. He was acting like an average guy. I wondered if any of the other men knew how crazy he was. I wondered what they would think if they knew that I was cuffed inside the car against my will. I didn't get any time to entertain those thoughts, though, as Edward waved goodbye to his co-workers and made his way back to the car, smiling as he got in. I watched him as he slowly leaned over and kissed my forehead.

"Making it look good?" I snapped as he laughed.

"You're so funny, Honey," he said with a smile.

He beeped the horn of his car and waved to the other officers as we drove by. "Let's go home."

"Can you loosen the cuff, please?" I asked almost begging.

"Sure, Love," he replied, unlocking the cuff.

His happiness from being back near his home was permeating the air around us, and it was hard to not relax with his good mood. He was so happy that I almost felt excited, and that was the last thing I wanted to feel. I should have felt scared or something along those lines, but my mind wasn't cooperating. My body was relaxed, but my mind was racing.

I was shocked when we pulled into the driveway of a small white, two story house. He gave me a quick smile again as he got out of the car. I opened the door to get out just as he closed the trunk. He had the duffle bag in one hand and quickly grabbed me with the other. He ushered us to the door and set down the bag to get out his keys. A moment too late, I realized that I could have screamed; he had neighbors on either side of him and the houses were close together. I could scream and draw attention to us, but as my mouth opened, I couldn't force anything out and I had no idea why. When we walked over the threshold, I heard a beeping noise accompanied by the closing of the front door. He gripped my hand in his as he started pushing buttons on the keypad on the wall. I heard more beeping and then the clicking of locks. As soon as he dropped my hand, I moved past him and back to the door, trying to turn the handle, but it wouldn't budge; not in the slightest. I turned back to Edward, horror struck, but only saw his back as he walked away from me.

"Let's make a deal," he called over his shoulder. "If you can find a way out of this house, I will let you leave without a fight."

I stood there and stared at him, wondering if he was serious or not. Surely it was a trick.

"I'm serious, Babe," he called out from another room in the house. "You find a way out, and you are free to leave. Oh, but when you find the bathroom, make sure you go because that will be the last time tonight."

I didn't understand what he was saying because I was too worried about getting out. I walked hesitantly from room to room, looking for a way to escape. I found that the windows didn't open, and weren't even made of glass. I didn't know what they were, but they didn't look like I could break them. After walking into every room, I lost all hope of getting out. I walked into the bedroom upstairs and I saw a set of golf clubs. I quickly grabbed one and started whaling on the window nearest the bed. Nothing worked; the golf club didn't even scratch the surface. I was stuck, and there was no escaping this house; why didn't I scream when I had the chance?

"Did you use the bathroom?"

Edward's voice startled me and I dropped the club guiltily. When I was looking for my escape, I never even ran into Edward, which showed me just how confident he was in that I would never escape from this hell hole. He knew it was hopeless.

"No. Why are you doing this?" I asked, tears leaking out from the corners of my eyes.

"Because you need me, Bella," he said softly, making his way over to me. "Say it."

"I don't need you!" I cried out. "I was doing fine on my own!"

I sat on the bed and sobbed, putting my head in my hands. It was too much. This was too much too soon.

"The bathroom is right through that doorway," Edward said, pulling me up gently by my elbow and leading me to the open doorway.

I managed to get my tears somewhat under control as Edward stopped us in front of the bathroom.

"There's no door," I hiccupped, looking around as if the door was hiding from sight.

"There won't be a door in place until I feel like I can trust you," Edward said, moving us inside the bathroom.

It all boiled down to trust with him, but not once had he even tried to earn mine, and that was the last straw my emotional state could take.

"You are so freaking disgusting!" I screamed. "I would rather die than be here with you! I hate you and I will never ever say that stupid saying again! I hate you!"

I had barely finished my rant when Edward charged me, grabbing me up into his arms, his hands clamping around my wrists like a vice. I kicked and screamed and fought him with all I had as he half carried/half dragged me out of the bathroom.

"Let me show you something," he said as he pulled me to a closed door. "This is all yours. This closet is just for you and no one else can use it."

"Whoop-de-do! I get a closet! What do you want, a medal for being so caring?" I asked sarcastically.

I was done trying to keep the beast tamed. I was done with playing by his rules. We glared at one another for a moment before he opened up the closet door and shoved me inside.

"Hope you like it," he said as he shut the door.

All around me was pitch black and I couldn't see anything except for the light underneath the closet door. Freaked out, I began to beat on the door, tears streaming down my face while I screamed at the top of my lungs. I wasn't saying anything that could be understood, but it was better than being stuck in complete silence. When my voice became hoarse and my screams turned into whimpers, Edward started to speak.

"This is the special place I was talking about. I'll see you in the morning."

"No! Please, Edward; I am so sorry. I'm sorry!" I yelled, pounding my fists on the door once more, but he didn't answer me, completely ignoring my pleas.

Was he really going to leave me in here all night?

After a few more times of beating on the door and listening to see if I could hear Edward walking around, I sunk to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees. I couldn't see anything, and I was too scared to move to try and find a way out. Knowing what I already did about the house, I knew that escaping from this closet - a place that he had designed just for me - was going to be impossible. Burying my face in my knees, I sobbed again for the life that I had lost, and cringed in fear of the turn my life was taking.

* * *

Damn Edward is a dick...

Hope you are still enjoying this. The next few chapters may be tough for some of you to get through, but it will work out in the end. I am a hea whore and one way or the other there will be one.

We want to say a huge thank you for all of your reviews; we love them. Thanks to Sally and Kasi for all their hard work! See you all next Monday!


	6. Chapter 6

A loud crashing sound next to my head caused my eyes to snap open and my body to sit up straight reflexively. I scanned the area around me but could only see blackness with a tiny light shining near my feet. As my eyes adjusted, it all came back to me with a vengeance. The closet. My special place. Edward!

I jumped to my feet and winced as pain shot through every area of my body. My back hurt, my neck was stiff, and I had a horrible headache. My legs felt shaky as I locked my knees to keep myself from crashing back to the floor, and my arms were tingling from trying to wake up from sleeping at such a strange angle. He did it; he actually left me in the closet all night. I didn't really remember most of it, though I knew I screamed and yelled for what felt like hours, all to no avail. He either ignored my pleas or he simply didn't hear me. I even said the phrase that always made him happy with me, but that didn't work either. I kicked at the door until I couldn't find the strength anymore. The knob didn't budge either. I ended up exhausting myself to the point where I fell asleep propped up against the door.

My eyes were drawn down to the knob on the door as it rattled with force. I quickly backed away until my back hit the wall behind me, and squeezed my eyes tightly shut as the sun suddenly surrounded the tiny room.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Edward asked from somewhere in front of me.

I blinked against the light and breathed in deeply, willing myself not to cry in relief at the thought of finally getting out of the closet.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I said desperately, falling to my knees in front of him, my body shaking with sobs that I refused to release.

I kept my face buried in my hands, trying desperately to control my breathing. I felt rather than heard Edward bend down so that he was on my level.

"Sorry would have been enough, but that works, too," he said as I looked up at him. "Say it again."

I choked back a cry and took a deep breath.

"You are all I have," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears. "You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward."

A tear made its way down my cheek as Edward shook his head. "Don't say now anymore," he demanded. "Again."

I blinked in confusion for a moment, trying to understand what he wanted from me. I was hoping he would give me some indication of what he was expecting, but all he did was incline his head towards me, urging me to say what he wanted.

"You are all I have…" I said slowly. "You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said, praying that I had gotten that right.

Edward stood up suddenly, towering over me as I knelt frozen on my knees in front of him. Another tear slipped down my face as he crossed his arms. I didn't get it.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"No," he said simply. "Do you like your special place?" he asked.

I shook my head back and forth quickly, more tears spilling out. Was he about to put me back in there?

"Why not?" he questioned, his tone even.

His last question caught me off guard and I lowered my head back into my hands. Was that the wrong answer? Was I supposed to like my 'special place'? I didn't know what to say.

"This closet was always too small for me to use," Edward said conversationally. "I'm glad it can finally fulfill its purpose."

I didn't say anything but my knees began to cramp up, and as I looked around, I saw that I was still in the doorway of the closet; it was the last place on Earth that I wanted to be right now.

"May I come out?" I asked, knowing I didn't want to spend another minute in this spot.

"No," he said as I instantly started to cry. "You were very bad while we were in the cabin. Why should I let you out?"

"Please?" I begged, looking up at him and beseeching him with my eyes, not caring how desperate I was sure I looked. "You made me sleep in a closet! Who does that to another human being?"

"Are you giving me an attitude?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"Yes! No! I don't know," I said, palming my face with my hand. "You don't lock a person in the closet."

I heard Edward hum noncommittally and I knew that there was no way to win this war.

"I don't think you have learned your lesson," he said as I quickly grabbed ahold of the doorframe. He was not shutting me in again. Not without a fight this time.

"What you are doing is wrong!" I screamed, pushing my back into his chest, so that he couldn't push me in.

"Say it," he hissed, his breath hot on my ear.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward!" I yelled, still pushing against him.

"Beep! Wrong," he said, giving a final push that sent me stumbling back into the closet.

I turned around just as he slammed the door shut behind me.

"I didn't say shit wrong! I hate you so much! I would rather die than be with you! I would rather live my whole life with my father than be with you!" I screamed through the door, banging against the wood with my fists.

I kicked the door a few more times before I sat back down on the floor, crying harder than I could ever remember doing in my life.

I had no idea how long I was left in the closet this time around, but I knew I wanted out. Every once in a while I would kick the door, but it did nothing other than give me a sore foot. After my anger wore off a bit and my adrenaline crashed, I began to finally think rationally. I needed to find a way to get help. Maybe Charlie would report me missing? No. I couldn't afford to think that way. I couldn't rely on anyone else to get me out of this situation. Charlie would probably just report me as a runaway. There would be no help there.

If I could just get him to let me outside, I would run and not stop. I was stupid when we were at the gas station; I should have screamed or done something. No one gave a rat's ass about me, so why should I have cared about the fate of the strange woman at the gas station? I couldn't worry about other people anymore; I was my number one.

Picking myself off the floor and trying the knob one more time, I dusted myself off and submitted myself to the idea that I had to play by his rules if I ever wanted to get out of the closet.

"Edward?" I yelled, putting my mouth against the door. "Are you out there? May I please come out? I really need to use the bathroom," I said as I leaned my ear against the wood, hoping to hear footsteps or something to indicate that he was nearby.

"Please?" I called. "I promise I'll be good."

"Say it," his voice demanded right next to my ear.

I jumped back in surprise but quickly pushed myself against the door again. I took a deep, cleansing breath before reciting the phrase that he loved to hear.

"You are all I have," I said against the wood. "You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I repeated, being extra sure to leave off the 'now' this time like he requested.

"Again," he demanded.

I glared at the door, thankful that he couldn't see through it. I already knew that this was going to be a mind-numbing day. After repeating the phrase ten times, I felt like I was going slightly crazy. The words flowed from my mouth flawlessly; the emotion built behind them rang true. And for a moment, even I believed them.

The sound of a key entering the lock made me flinch, but I quickly stepped back and waited for the door to open. I mentally ran through a list of what to do and what not to do to keep myself in check.

Do as he says and don't argue with him. Remember that there is no 'now' after life. Smile. Act grateful.

Well at least the last one shouldn't give me any issues.

As the door opened, Edward was standing there with an expectant look on his face. He held out his hand, bringing my attention to a white bar of Dove soap. It looked new, like he had just taken it out of the package. He pushed his hand out further without saying a word and I silently took his offering, having no idea what he expected me to do with a bar of soap. Then he grabbed my wrist and walked us out of the bedroom and into the room next door: the bathroom. He walked us over to the sink and grabbed the soap from me, holding it up to my mouth. I flinched away, only to be stopped abruptly as his other hand went around my neck, holding my head in place.

"Bite it," he said as I covered my mouth with my hands immediately.

"Why?" I asked through my fingers, my eyes filling with tears.

"You swore," he replied easily.

I looked at him for a couple of seconds, begging him with my eyes to show me that was just one of his sick jokes…but his lips remained pressed in a tight line and his eyes continued to narrow. He was very serious. He wanted me to eat the soap. I gulped and moved my hands down to my sides. I was pretty sure I could handle some soap in my mouth; it was just not something I had been subjected to before. I opened my mouth and leaned forward, trying to take a small nibble of the bar, but Edward was having none of that. Before I could react, he had the bar shoved inside my mouth.

I gagged around the soap and tried to wiggle free from his grasp, but Edward only tightened his hold on me, forcing the bar further down my throat.

"Bite down," he growled as tears slipped from my eyes and onto the countertop.

I did as he said and felt my teeth slice into the soap like it was butter. The taste was revolting, and I could feel the flakes of soap getting caught in between my teeth. It would take me a long time to get all the soap and the flavor out of my mouth. When he finally pulled the soap out, I threw up in the sink.

"Water...may I have some water?" I asked when my gagging momentarily ceased.

"No," he said, gathering my hair in his hands and holding it out of the way.

He held my hair in one hand and rubbed the back of my neck with his other. His gesture might have actually meant something to me if he hadn't been the one to cause me to vomit in the first place.

"Please, Edward," I begged. "I will never swear again."

I cried as the taste seemed to multiply around my taste buds, causing me to dry heave.

Once I managed to get my stomach somewhat under control, I stood up straight, feeling Edward's hands drop from around my neck and hair, to graze his fingers down my back.

"Use the toilet," he said, stepping aside so I could scoot past him.

I did my best to keep my tongue pressed to the bottom of my mouth in order to keep from tasting the soap more than what was necessary. I emptied my bladder quickly in hopes that I could brush my teeth afterwards. He turned the water on for me, and I automatically washed my hands, looking to him for instruction as I finished.

"You may brush your teeth, Baby," he said, smiling at me like I was being rewarded.

I couldn't help the smile that I gave him in return as I reached out for the toothbrush. I was so happy for this little pleasure that I swear I could have hugged him at that moment. I quickly and efficiently scrubbed my teeth, overjoyed when the soap taste was out of my mouth.

"Thank you," I said, setting my toothbrush down and turning toward him once more.

"I want to show you something," he said, taking my hand once again and guiding us out of the bathroom.

He brought us back to the bedroom, and now that the room was lit up, my eyes wandered around my new surroundings. There was a king-sized bed sitting in the middle of the room, with a side table on the left that had a lamp and a couple of books on top of it. There was a dresser on the wall next to the closet I was kept in, along with two other closed doors.

"What's there?" I asked, pointing to the doors.

"A walk-closet in one and another bathroom in the other," Edward replied without looking.

Overall, the room was nice with tan walls and darker colors on the bed and curtains. About what you could expect from a man, I would guess.

At the foot of the bed there was a trunk, though, in which Edward was now sitting on, looking at me while patting his thigh.

Was he expecting me to sit on his lap?

"I want you to place yourself over my knees," he instructed as if he was reading my thoughts.

My mouth popped open, and I'm sure I looked like a fish as I gaped at him. He couldn't be serious.

"You can of course go back into the closet, instead," he offered, moving as if to get up.

"No!" I blurted, slapping a hand over my mouth. "I mean…that's alright."

I took a step forward and saw Edward sit back on the trunk, his knees at a ninety degree angle. I had to will myself to place one foot in front of the other and take those last three steps until I was near his feet.

"Over my lap, on your stomach," he reminded me.

I had a gut feeling of what was coming, but I prayed I was wrong.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice cracking in fear.

My hands were resting on the leather in front of me, and I was twisting my back and neck, trying to get a good look at him. His eyes met mine, and I saw no pity or remorse, or anything showing me that he was capable of being a decent human being. I only saw pure determination.

"You are getting a spanking," he replied coldly. "You have disobeyed me, talked back on numerous occasions, and have been acting very ungrateful toward me."

With that, his hand came down onto my covered bottom, a loud slapping sound penetrating the air. I screamed, more in shock than pain, but all Edward did was push on my back with his forearm, forcing me to lean down further before delivering another blow to my behind.

"Shi-!" I screamed again, only to be cut off as his palm connected harder than ever.

"You really liked that soap, huh?" he goaded as his hand connected with my ass once more.

I pursed my lips and forced myself to breathe through my nose. It would only make things a million times worse if I swore out loud. I was lucky I hadn't.

"No," I cried, burying my face in my hands.

He then delivered three sharp slaps in quick succession before using the same hand to rub out the sting. My mind was spinning and my emotions were out of control. My bottom hurt, but it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. That didn't stop me from crying, though, as I lay draped over Edward's lap with him rubbing my bottom, making shushing noises like he was trying to comfort a distraught child.

I didn't like being spanked like a child. I had never been spanked in my entire life, and I felt my cheeks heat up in horror. I think more than anything, he was trying to humiliate me. I felt myself being pulled up, and lowered my head as he had me stand in between his legs, his hands resting on my hips. I kept my arms crossed over my chest as he used his finger to tilt my head up so that I was looking him in the eyes. His eyes searched mine for a moment, like he was waiting for me to throw a fit; I wasn't that stupid, though.

"You are my girlfriend and we met while I was away at training. You came with me willingly," he said, continuing with where the conversation had left off in the car. "The man you left behind beat you for no reason. He made you bleed. He bruised you when you did nothing wrong. You cooked and cleaned and all he did was hit, punch, and kick the shit out of you. You are a good girl, and family members don't beat the ones they love," he continued on as I looked down.

He was being a hypocrite. Did he not just take his hand to me?

"What I do is discipline," he said, reading my mind yet again. "I am teaching you a lesson. There is a difference between discipline and abuse. Are you ever going to swear again?" he asked.

I shook my head no as I wiped the last of my tears away, and knew that I was telling the truth. Charlie used to beat me for my swear words, so I was used to being on guard in that aspect anyway. It looked like things with Edward would be no different. I escaped one monster only to be thrown into another one's lair.

"Good," he said with a nod. "Then lesson learned and I shouldn't have to do it again. Now we are going to go over your rules and what I expect from you, and after this talk, if you do break a rule or are out of line in any way, you will get a spanking. Depending on the infraction, you may spend some time in your closet, too. Do you understand?" he asked, lifting my chin again so he could see my face.

I nodded slowly as he smiled. Basically, once the ground rules were set, every one that was broken would lead to a spanking as punishment.

But then…

"Why did I get a spanking if I had already spent the night in the closet?" I blurted, confused more than ever.

"For your attitude at the cabin," he replied without missing a beat. "Four things will get you into trouble here." He continued on like I hadn't interrupted him. "Talking about your past, swearing, throwing fits, and not obeying me. The punishment will depend on the infraction. Using swear words will always get you a mouth full of soap and possible closet time and a spanking. Anything other than that will be either closet time or a spanking, depending on my mood. Do you understand me?"

Again I nodded hesitantly; there really wasn't anything I could say. No matter what, at the end of the day he was bigger and stronger, and he had the added advantage of knowing how to get out of this house. All I could do was play by his rules until an opportunity to escape arose.

"Say it," he said, standing up and looking down on me.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I whispered.

"Do you have any questions?" he asked one last time.

I shook my head no, my eyes never leaving his.

"I'm all you have in this world," he said gently, running his fingers through my hair, his eyes looking into mine tenderly. "I'm your best friend and you can tell or ask me anything."

I nodded and licked my dry lips. Friend? Is this how friends treated each other? I wouldn't know. I had never had a friend before, and the thought of having one now stirred a longing inside me that I didn't even know existed. I knew he was waiting for me to speak, but there was nothing I could say that wouldn't end in a punishment of some sort.

"You have nothing to say?" he questioned, obviously disappointed.

I shook my head again. My best bet was to remain silent at this point. He chuckled and then nodded his head in return before taking my hand in his and rubbing the backs of my knuckles.

"Your father didn't love you," he said bluntly, holding up his hand when I opened my mouth to protest. "A father does not raise his hand to his child, no matter what. A father who loves their daughter doesn't sneak into her room late at night and get his jollies off by watching her sleep. A father doesn't ask his buddy to take you off his hands. A spanking is a form of discipline. A punch to the jaw is a form of abuse. Plain and simple. I have seen firsthand the abuse that you have suffered at the hands of your 'father' and I wasn't going to sit back and let it continue."

My palms were becoming sweaty and my breathing was picking up speed. My father did what? I thought I was going to be sick. Edward had witnessed what my father did to me? He had seen my shame with his own eyes? Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as blood pooled in my cheeks. I was embarrassed that my captor saw me get knocked around by my father. How fucked up was that?

"There's no reason for tears," he whispered, wiping them away with his thumbs before they could fall. "Family doesn't treat the ones they love the way your father treated you. Do you understand that?" he asked, willing me with his dark green eyes to believe him.

I knew what Charlie was doing was wrong, but I thought that I deserved what I got. I thought that it was God's way of punishing me for not being good. I thought that every kid got smacked around at least once in a while, if not all the time like me.

"You didn't deserve to be abused," he said, wrapping his arms around me as the tears flowed freely. "You deserve a life free from him. He was not your family. He didn't have your best interests at heart, but I do, Bella," he said, pulling back so that he could look at me once more.

"I love you, and I know what's best for you. Everything I do, I do out of love for you. Every punishment you get will be done out of love. Did Charlie ever tell you that he loved you?" he questioned.

I shook my head no again as a sob broke free, and I pulled Edward back to me, wrapping my arms back around his waist.

"Because he didn't love you," Edward insisted. "Because, to him, you weren't worthy of his love. But you are worthy of mine. I will take care of you. I will have your best interests at heart, and I know what's good for you, Sweet Girl," he said, rubbing his hands through my hair and down my back, soothing me in his own way.

"You are so strong, and so very brave, but you don't have to be alone any longer," he said firmly. "You will be taken care of and cherished, but you have to obey. You have to learn your rules and live by them daily. You have to know that I only want what's best for you. Do you understand?" he asked.

I looked into his eyes and saw so many emotions that I couldn't place swimming in them. They were warm and open, like he was willing me to see into his soul. Eyes that were the complete opposite of Charlie's.

"I understand," I whispered.

"Charlie never loved you," he repeated. "Say it."

I blinked as another tear fell down my cheek. I didn't want to say it. Even though he was right, I didn't want to say it and give in. I didn't want to admit it.

"Charlie didn't love me," I whispered brokenly.

"You didn't deserve to be abused," he stated, nodding his head to me to repeat.

Tears continued to fall and I kept my eyes closed as I repeated the words that had haunted my very soul for so many years.

"I didn't deserve to be abused."

"I want what's best for you," he added, gripping my hands in his.

I opened my eyes to see Edward leaning into me, his forehead almost touching my own.

"Say it," he whispered.

"You only want what's best for me," I repeated shakily.

This was so much to wrap my mind around that I could feel my brain slowly shutting down.

"I love you, Bella."

His eyes spoke volumes, and Edward was looking at me in a way that Charlie never once had. Was it possible?

"You love me," I repeated.

He wrapped his arms around me again, and I found my own arms immediately drawn to his back, clinging to his shirt. We stayed that way for a few minutes until my cries quieted down. This was just too much information for me right now. After another few minutes, I finally stopped crying, pulling away from him and drying my eyes with the palms of my hands.

"Are you hungry?" he asked gently, allowing me to pull away slightly, yet still keeping his hands on my hips.

I nodded and gave him a tiny smile in return as he led us from the bedroom and down the stairs. Once we were in the dining room, he set me in one of the chairs and made his way to the fridge, grabbing a box of cereal, a bowl, and the milk.

"We are going to have a great life together," he said as he poured the ingredients into the big, blue bowl.

It didn't escape my notice that he once again only poured a single bowl. That meant that he would still be feeding me, and that I was more than likely expected to ask for my food as well. I didn't respond as he sat down at the table right next to me, setting the bowl in front of him. Between spending the night in the closet, throwing up what little food I had in my stomach after the soap incident, my spanking, and the revelation that he gave me, I was suddenly starving and I wasn't surprised.

"May I have some, please?" I asked, licking my dry lips.

Edward's face immediately lit up with a smile as he nodded his head. He took a couple of bites for himself as I waited for him to feed me. I was so hungry, but I knew saying something would get me nowhere. I hated that he fed me, but I was still grateful for the food that I received. Edward pulled my chair over to his so that our legs were touching before picking up the spoon and bringing it to my mouth carefully. I wrapped my lips around the spoon, savoring the taste of the cereal. It felt like I hadn't eaten in a very long time. He pulled the spoon away to bring it back to the bowl before bringing it to my mouth once more. As he did that over and over, not once taking a bite for himself, I began to feel guilty. I hated feeling that way, telling myself that I should have had my own bowl, but now, with him feeding me the way he was, I felt selfish for wanting more.

"I'm full," I said after eating several more bites.

Edward looked surprised at that as his head snapped up.

"Are you sure? You really haven't eaten enough," he said, offering me another bite.

"My stomach is starting to hurt."

Edward shrugged and continued to finish off the bowl. Once he was done, I stood to take the empty bowl to the sink, but he stood up, pointed back to my chair, and walked to the sink without saying a word. I watched as he worked his way around the kitchen, surprised when he rinsed the bowl and placed it in the dishwasher instead of just leaving it in the sink the way Charlie always did.

"Um…I'm good at cleaning. I can pull my own weight around here," I said before biting my tongue.

Why would I say that?

"I know, Baby, you'll be doing it soon enough," he said, giving me a smile.

I didn't understand why I was feeding his delusion. I knew I was going to be compliant so I could get out, but offering to clean was a little extreme.

As soon as Edward had loaded the dishwasher, wiped down the counters and tabletop, he sat back down beside me.

"Make a list off all the classes you were taking," he said, handing me a piece of paper.

I furrowed my brows but did as I was told. When I was done, he looked over the paper and nodded.

"Let's get today started," he said before standing up.

"May I have a drink first?" I asked hesitantly. Was it wrong to ask for something when he obviously had something planned for us first?

I waited for his reprimand or a thump to the head, but nothing came. Instead, he simply handed me his coffee mug and pushed in his chair. I still didn't understand why I had to eat and drink after him; it was a little weird. Was it a fetish of his? I'd remind myself to ask him about it later…he did say I could ask him anything. I wrinkled my nose as the smell of coffee reached my senses. I hated coffee. If I wasn't desperate, I wouldn't even stoop to this level. As soon as the coffee hit my tongue, I swallowed and hoped I wouldn't taste it too much, but I wasn't going to complain. At least it was something to drink.

"I took a three week vacation from work," Edward said, leading us through the living room. "I haven't taken time off in ten years, so they had no problem with me taking it. I told all my buddies about you, and they are just happy I found someone to settle down with. Anyway, for the next three weeks, we will be on a strict schedule, but I'll go over that in a minute."

I gaped at Edward's back as he talked without seeming to even take a breath. As we moved out of the living room, we came to a small hallway that had a closed door on each side, and then another closed door at the very end. It looked to be an add-on. Edward didn't seem to be in the mood for a tour though, as he opened up the door on the right, leading us into a rather large room. Right away, my eyes were drawn to a big desk in the middle, in front of a window. The wall to the right of the desk was a bookshelf that went from the floor to the ceiling, every inch filled with books. On the left was a unique looking lamp, and in front of that was a little table that pulled out from the desk with a chair in front of it. It was the same height as the big desk, but only took up a small space in the middle.

Without missing a step, Edward made his way over to the big part of the desk and took a seat, gesturing for me to do the same. His eyes never left mine and he smiled as I sat down tentatively next to him at the smaller desk.

Once seated, I glanced quickly around me and noticed a small, plush couch to my left. That had to be more comfortable than this desk, I thought wryly.

"I'm a very strict man, and like to be on a schedule as much as possible. I feel like you will thrive better on a schedule, as well," Edward began, his head resting on his hand that was propped up by his elbow. He leaned toward me and I tried not to shy away. "As long as you can behave, this is how our day will go: we will get up and shower before eating breakfast. I'm going to home school you for the rest of the year, so after breakfast, we will come in here for three hours while we finish your school work. As long as we keep to a set curriculum, we should finish your year within the next three weeks. After your school is done, we will settle in for lunch before we start on our daily chores. For the next couple of weeks, I'll be here with you at all times to help you adjust and to show you what I expect of you once I start back to work."

He paused to look at me then, and all I could do was sit there, stunned. He just discussed half of our day with every hour planned out. Was that normal?

"We will be working on our relationship as well. After your chores are done, you will have an hour of free time to spend however you like while I do some work from home. Then we will continue on with whatever lessons you still need before cooking dinner together, eating, and then retiring to our room for the night. You will have more freedom here than you did at the cabin. There is no way you can get out of this house without my help, so please don't even try," he said.

"Any questions or concerns before we begin your school for today?" he asked, shuffling some papers around on his desk.

Too stunned to even form a coherent thought, I shook my head no.

"Very well," he said, reaching forward and placing a sheet of paper in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked, looking down after taking the offered pencil from him.

"That is your school work for today. You may not know everything, but I want to see how much you do know and how far you are into your school year," he said. "You have all day, so don't rush."

I looked down and my palms became sweaty. I flipped through the pages and immediately became overwhelmed. There were six pages, front and back, and then it seemed like the room was too quiet. Edward was sitting next to me working on his computer, so the only noise was the clicking of the keyboard. The test was very difficult, even for me, and at one point I laid my head down. I was frustrated and I wanted to cry again.

I jumped in surprise as I felt Edward's hand rubbing the back of my head.

"Say it," he whispered.

I kept my head down, but turned it to the side so that he could hear me. "You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said obediently.

"Good Girl," he praised, running his hand over the back of my hair one last time before resuming to his work.

"Don't get frustrated," he said gently. "I just need to see where you're at. If you don't know something, then skip it and maybe it will come to you later. Just keep going," he advised.

I picked up my pencil and looked back down at the test.

"It's too quiet in here," I whispered, looking up to see if I had upset him.

"I'm all you need to distract you, Bella," he replied. "You don't need anything else."

I nodded my head and went back to work. I couldn't tell how much time had passed since there wasn't a clock anywhere that I could see, but after a little while longer of just sitting and working, I became thirsty.

"May I have a drink?" I asked quietly, breaking the silence.

He looked down into his coffee mug and grimaced. "I'll be right back," he said, leaving the room to get more.

I was completely shocked that he left me in the room alone. The shock quickly wore off as I stood and went to the window. I pulled and pushed and pressed against the glass to no avail. Once again there was no way out. Fearing that he would return at any second, I turned and searched his desk desperately. I saw a phone and picked it up, but there was no dial tone. I tried the computer, but he had locked it and it required a password to start it up again. To my right, I noticed a television that I hadn't seen earlier mounted onto the wall with the remote sitting right beside the computer. Knowing it was my last chance, I clicked the power button, only to still be staring at a black screen. I didn't have time to figure out why it wouldn't come on as I heard Edward's steps coming towards the office. I quickly sat back down and continued with the test, willing my breathing to calm down. He walked in and handed me the coffee mug, which I accepted with a half-smile. If he knew I was snooping, he didn't mention it.

The test took me hours, and my head hurt by the end of it. I double checked over the parts I didn't know before, and handed Edward the finished product. He said nothing to me as he went over it, but I remained in my seat, instinctually knowing that I wouldn't be allowed to leave right now. My hands twisted in my lap as I waited to hear how I did, but instead of saying anything, he simply stood up and gestured for me to lead the way out of the study room.

I stood and reached my arms above my head, stretching out my stiff back. I groaned in relief as my back popped numerous times, blushing when Edward chuckled.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Much," I replied. "Maybe next time we can take some breaks in between?" I suggested, questioningly.

One thing I was slowly learning from my time with Edward was that asking for things or permission usually made him happy. And when Edward was happy, he had a tendency to give me what I asked for. He wasn't completely unreasonable, I noticed. As soon as we were in the living room, I turned back to Edward to see where he expected me to go. I sat hesitantly beside him on the couch, and flinched as he turned to face me suddenly.

"I have something to show you," he said, "and then if you have any questions, you can ask them before we have lunch."

I watched as he stood up and brought out a large poster board that was decorated like a chart with kittens and puppies as the background theme of it. It looked like something you would use to help a child remember their chores…though the kittens were very cute. My immediate thought was that I liked it, but I quickly squashed that thought down and frowned. I didn't need to be liking anything here, yet this afternoon had been one of the nicest I had in a long time. There was no yelling, no hitting, no degrading, no running through the halls of a lifeless school to get to a class on time…there was just Edward and myself, sitting quietly in a room together while I worked on school work without other kids my own age to disrupt me or throw things at me. I didn't even realize it then, but I was actually calm throughout my time in his study, some part of my mind trusting Edward not to hurt me. And those were dangerous thoughts to have.

"I don't understand," I said.

"This is your very own chart," Edward began, setting it back down beside the couch and taking his place beside me once more. "It has a place for your chores, your attitude, and your behavior. For every day that you do your chores without a reminder, watch your attitude, and are on your best behavior, you will get a gold star in each section," he said, pointing to the sections he was referring to. "At the end of each week, if you have all gold star stickers, then you get a reward of your choice. If not, then we will add up your punishments. Do you understand?"

My voice cracked as I began to ask the question that I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to. "What do you mean a reward of my choice?"

Edward smiled and rubbed his hand against my cheek, causing the blood to rush to my face.

"I will have three rewards for you to choose from, and you can choose whichever one you want most at that time. They'll change up from week to week," he explained.

The walls felt like they were closing in and I had to force myself to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. I closed my eyes and cried tears of fear and frustration, with no one to bear witness to them.

Soap and vomit ran out of my mouth as tears flowed from my eyes. In that moment, I looked into the mirror and saw Edward looking at me, his eyes cold and hard, with no remorse for what he was putting me through.

Not even wanting my mind to drift back to the spanking, my eyes filled with tears and I buried my head in my hands. It was too much, too soon, and there were too many conflicting emotions. I didn't know how to handle it. I didn't know how to handle him.

"Why are you crying?" Edward asked, rubbing my back.

"It's too much," I hiccupped, "and I'm so tired."

I felt my body physically get smaller as I hunched over, my eyes refusing to open again.

"How about a nap?" Edward asked.

A nap sounded heavenly. It sounded like my chance to escape this nightmare in the only way my body knew how.

"Yes, please," I whispered, still sobbing.

My eyes snapped open as I felt my body being lifted from the couch, my arms immediately wrapping around Edward's neck as he carried me up the stairs. His spicy, cinnamon-y scent washed over me, and the last thing I remembered was the coldness of the cuff as he tightened it around my wrist before the soft clicking sound of the door closed behind him.

* * *

So, I'm just saying that if you think this chapter was bad and you couldn't handle it, you may not want to read the next couple of chapters. They are a little rough but after that they get better...well as better as this story is going to get. This will be a hea maybe not the fairytale ending, but Edward and Bella will end up together!

Thanks for all the reviews! We love them so much! Thanks to Kasi and Sally for all the hard work that give! Also, thanks to any of you that voted for Hardtail Curve winning Kasi and I the best cockblock award! It is up on jessandtat if anyone of you would like to read it!


	7. Chapter 7

Okay well this is where the going is going to get tough. The next few chapters could be rough for some. As far as everyone not see how this is going to be a hea it will. It may not be picture perfect, but they will end up together.

Thanks for the all the reviews! We are loving them!

Thanks to Sally and Kasi for all their help.

We own nothing but the plot.

* * *

Rocks cut at the soles of my feet and branches ripped across the skin on my face. I ducked as often as I could, but it was no use. As the woods thickened around me, what little light there was began to be shut out until there was nothing but complete blackness surrounding me. I swallowed back my hysteria and willed my body to move forward as quietly as possible.

The sound of twigs snapping beneath my feet would cause me to stop dead in my tracks and hold my breath, listening for any sound of movement behind me. I held my breath until my lungs burned, aching for oxygen. Only when I was sure he wasn't there did I release the air and inhale once more. I could feel the salt of my tears mix in with the blood that stained my cheeks, causing a harsh stinging sensation across my abused face.

"Bellaaaaaa!" His voice came from behind me suddenly.

I let out a startled squeak and immediately began to move once more; never mind the fact that I couldn't see two feet in front of me, or that I had no idea where I was going. None of that mattered. All that mattered was getting away from the mad man who was currently after me.

"Tsk, tsk," he said playfully. "You really think you can escape me? Don't you know that I will always own you? Body, mind, and soul? You. Are. Mine, Isabella!" he bellowed.

"No!" I screamed, my voice echoing off the trees.

Running purely on adrenaline, I hardly noticed the pain in my feet or the sting on face. I didn't notice how my arms burned as branch after branch tore through my skin, or even any of the rocks that lodged themselves into my feet.

I let out a piercing wail as my arm was tugged back roughly, causing my body to fall painfully to the forest floor. I immediately covered my head with my hands, knowing that the raining blows would come soon after.

"Never run from me again!" the mad man screamed, kicking me in my shoulder.

I screamed as tears ran down my face, and desperately tried to roll my body away from his steel-toed boots.

When I looked down, I saw that the white nightgown I had on was now a mixture of red and brown, covered completely in dirt and blood. One of the straps had torn, and my left breast was dangerously close to falling out. I tugged on the piece of material, willing it to stay put to allow me some modesty.

"Always such a slut," the man whispered, bending down so that he was on my level. "I should have just killed you when I had the chance."

I stared in horror as he brought his hand around my neck and began to squeeze. I was suddenly lifted up into the air, my hands clawing frantically at his as I begged him with my eyes to let me go. His dark, evil chuckle was the last thing I heard before a ringing sounded in my ear drums.

I looked behind him into the darkness, and saw what my subconscious knew was there: the one person I knew that would keep me from meeting my maker tonight. His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight before him, and before I could blink he was beside us, grabbing ahold of my waist while jabbing something into Charlie's side. Charlie's eyes went wide with horror as his grip slipped from around my neck and I tumbled into my Savior's arms.

"Edward," I whimpered, clinging to his neck and breathing in his smell of cinnamon and spice as his arms wrapped around me.

"Look at your father, Bella," he demanded gently, pulling my head back and turning me so that we were both facing the body of my father.

"N-no, no, n-nooo," I stammered.

Tears ran down my face as I tried to climb into his arms. I squeezed my eyes shut as his arms came around me protectively, his hands running through my tangled, sweaty hair.

"You're safe with me," he whispered, laying a kiss to the top of my head. "You always have been and you always will be. Say goodbye to your past," he insisted, bringing my face out from the crook of his neck, "and say hello to your future."

At that moment, I looked behind me to see a knife handle sticking out from Charlie's side, blood staining his shirt and pooling around him. Then I began to scream.

"Bella!"

"Bella!"

"Dammit, Isabella!"

I jumped, startled, and gasped for air as my eyes snapped open. My head searched side to side for Charlie's body.

"You killed him," I gasped, finally looking up to Edward.

"What?" he asked as his face paled.

"You-you saved me," I whispered. "He's gone."

"Shhh," Edward cooed, wrapping me in his arms. "You're safe now."

Those were the same words from my dream. I didn't even realize I was shaking until I was in Edward's embrace and he held me still. My teeth were chattering, but I wasn't cold.

"Nightmare," I croaked. "It was just a nightmare."

It took me awhile to finally calm down enough for Edward to remove the cuff from my wrist. On the outside, I seemed calm, but a war was raging inside my head and heart.

Edward was a monster. He didn't save me from anything. He took me from my home- my father.

An abusive father, my inner voice snidely reminded me. _He jerked it while you were sleeping! Good ridden. _

Edward took away my chance at living a normal life. But then, why was he the one rescuing me in my nightmares? I hated feeling so confused.

As I tried to make sense of my nightmare, I let Edward lead me into the bathroom, already knowing what to expect. It had been the same routine for the past three days. Edward would wake up, take a shower, and then come to get me so that I could do the same.

I stripped out of my clothes absentmindedly as Edward turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. When I looked up, I saw him gazing at me. I felt the blood pool in my cheeks, but I knew better than to try and cover myself up from him. He held out his hand, and I took it within my own and let him guide me into the standup shower. When the door clicked shut behind me, I breathed out a sigh of relief. Even if it was made of glass and he could still see every part of me, I was grateful for the small barrier between us.

I quickly showered and washed my hair, knowing that Edward was going to reach in and shut the water off after fifteen minutes. Once I was finished, I bowed my head and let the warm water hit my back, relaxing my tense muscles. I let my mind wander, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing a vital piece of information from that nightmare. Like there was something more, and I just didn't see it.

I jumped slightly when the water cut off suddenly and looked up to see Edward removing his hand and grabbing a towel. I didn't even hear him open up the door.

Without being told, I stepped into the towel while shivering, and waited patiently while he dried my hair before he moved it lower to dry off the rest of me. I gritted my teeth and stood as still as possible while he dried me, knowing what the end result would be if I didn't. Once he was finished, he smiled at me and gestured for me to move to the sink so I could brush my teeth.

It was just another way that he had control over me. He never left me alone. Not even in the bathroom - the most private place of all. I told him time and time again that I could do it all without an audience, but he just laughed at me. I hated him. I quickly rinsed out my mouth and stood still as he dried it for me, before following him out the door. When we got to the dining room, I threw myself down into my chair with a sigh.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, standing over me.

"Nope, just waiting for you to feed me like a baby," I said, sweet as pie.

He didn't find it funny and pinched my arm to show his displeasure. I glared after him as he made his way to the kitchen, and then leaned a little to the left to see if he could see me. Of course he could; he never took his eyes off of me. He really was creepy. He came back to the table with a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee in hand, not even acknowledging me like he normally would. I let out a little huff and crossed my arms across my chest. I hated coffee, but I knew that was all I was going to be able to drink.

I leaned forward and placed my elbow on the table, waiting for him to hold the spoon out for me. Instead, I watched as he started to eat while blatantly ignoring me.

"May I have some?" I asked, already bored with this whole thing.

"Nope," he said with a mouth full of food.

"But..."

"You are one ungrateful little girl. If you don't want to accept the food I give you without complaint, then I won't give you any at all," he said as I glared at him.

"So I just don't get to eat?" I asked rather rudely.

"Yup."

"That's freaking rude," I replied.

"Lose your attitude right now," he said as he slammed his fist on the table.

His anger startled me, and I knew that I needed to back off, but a part of me just wasn't going to let this go. I sat back in the chair and watched him eat, silently boiling in anger. Everything he did made me hate him more.

"You're a jerk," I blurted out as he sat his spoon down.

I quickly covered my mouth with my hands, staring at him with fear in my eyes. I knew that I had crossed the line. He gripped my arm and pulled me to him without a word. His silence was even scarier than when he yelled. I was in too much shock at what I said to fight him as he put me over his knee and spanked me fifteen times.

As his palm made contact with my bottom, I suddenly snapped out of my stupefied horror. "Stop!" I yelled.

He never answered and he never stopped his spankings. I cried out every time he hit me, hating that he treated me like a child. Once he finished, I lay over his lap sobbing.

"Are you going to behave?" he asked with me still over his knee.

"Why do you treat me like a baby?" I asked through my tears.

"I guess not," he said giving me five more swats.

I screamed out in pain as his hits became harder, and I knew that I was going to bruise.

You need to give in, my inner voice said. You need to give in and be good.

As my bottom burned and my stomach cramped from his knees digging into me, I knew that I was going to have to give in for at least a bit. I didn't want any more spankings.

"Now?" he asked.

"Yes," I cried.

He helped me off his lap and back to my seat.

"Do the dishes," he demanded as he picked up the newspaper from beside him.

I nodded and picked up the empty bowl to take to the kitchen. I put the bowl into the dishwasher and headed back to the dining room.

"That was quick," Edward noticed.

"It's not hard to put a bowl in the dishwasher," I shrugged.

"Did I say to put it in the dishwasher?"

I blinked in surprise.

"No, but..."

"Fine," he said as he got up and gripped my arm, dragging me back to the kitchen.

"That hurts," I said as I tried to pull away.

He let go of my arm, but sent me a look that clearly said 'stay put'. I watched with wide eyes as he took everything out of the dishwasher and placed it all in the sink. I continued to watch, looking at him like he was crazy.

"Now you can wash them all by hand," he said as he sat on the counter.

I ground my teeth as I glared at him, but didn't say a word in protest. I started the dishes without a word, and alternated my focus between them and him as he would out of the blue touch me. His touches never stayed in one place, either, ranging from my arms, to my face; to my hair...he was driving me crazy. He would even pinch me every once in a while, causing me to jump and splash water all over myself.

I kept my comments to myself, though, and didn't give him the satisfaction of showing any kind of response.

"Wipe down the counters," he said as I finished.

I did as he ordered and looked back to him for further direction.

"Good; now it's time for school."

He took my hand in his and led me to the office. Just like the day before, he made me sit next to him as he handed me worksheets to do. As I did my work, he would reach out to touch me randomly. At first, I would flinch almost every time, and every flinch would earn me a hard pinch to the arm.

"Why do you keep touching me?" I asked, finally finishing the worksheet I was on.

I looked up at him to see him staring at me intently.

"Because I can," he said as I sucked my teeth.

I turned back to my next worksheet as he continued to touch me.

"You need to write neater," he said suddenly.

I sighed and tried to keep calm.

"I said neater!" he barked, making me jump.

I let out a cry of surprise as he took the paper away from me and began to erase all of my work.

"Do it again, but this time take pride in your work," he griped.

I closed my eyes and rolled them so that Edward wouldn't see. My small act of defiance.

"Say it," he whispered, his hot breath right behind my ear.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said through clenched teeth.

"Again!" he yelled.

Every time he made me 'say it', my blood boiled and tears stung my eyes. There had to be something wrong with me because I was saying it without thinking now. He said 'say it' and I did, no questions asked. The only control I had was the tone I said it in. I always gave in though, and I hated myself each time.

"We will have to work on your handwriting more," he said as he looked over my work.

I groaned and let my head thump onto my desk heavily. That was the wrong move, though, because he started rubbing my back. I flinched and quickly sat up. Instead of using force to keep me still, he just moved his hand from my back to my leg, so I moved my leg. Moving all around didn't deter him from touching me, and I could feel a freak out coming on that I had no control over.

"Wow, I thought you would have done this work better. You're very behind when it comes to Biology. English, I can't tell because it's so hard to read your handwriting. Math could be better, and Social Studies is okay I guess. We have a lot of work to do," he said, clicking the pen in his hand while he rubbed my leg.

"I'm very smart," I said in disgust. "I never get a grade lower than an A!"

He was making me sound like a dumb ass.

"That may be, but you could still do better," he replied calmly, pinching my arm once more.

"Stop it!" I yelled as I jumped up from my seat.

"Sit down!" he said sternly as I pulled at my hair.

"No; because if I do, you will start touching me or telling me I'm not good enough!" I half yelled.

I was trying to keep myself in check so I didn't swear. The last thing I wanted was for him to put soap in my mouth again.

"I don't even like you, and yet you think it's okay to touch me where ever you want? It's not okay, Edward; I don't want you to touch me!" I yelled.

He got up from the desk, and the look on his face told me to run...so I did. I didn't get very far because he was quick, and before I knew it, he had his arms wrapped around my waist with my arms locked at my sides. I didn't know who I was trying to kid. He was a cop; he knew what he was doing. I flung my head back, but he was quicker, so I wasn't able to head-butt him in the face like I wanted to. I did feel a sense of pride, though, when I was able to make him fall by tangling my legs around his. We both crashed to the floor and I scraped my elbow, but it was worth it.

"Get back here!" he yelled as I scrambled to my feet and headed away from him.

I furiously tried every door that I could reach, praying for some sort of miracle. I didn't understand why he hadn't caught me, but he was probably getting hard from me running. All this stupidness was what he wanted. I ran to the living room and pulled on the sliding glass door. I needed to get out, but it wouldn't budge. I did notice that the lock looked different from anything I had ever seen before.

"Are you done?" he asked in the most sinister voice as he blocked me with his arms. "You know you can't get out."

"I don't want to be here!" I cried as he started to touch me.

He pulled my hair to one side of my shoulder and began laying light kisses on my skin.

"No," I said pulling away.

He locked his arms around me so that I couldn't struggle, and kissed me with even more enthusiasm. "Edward, please don't."

"When are you going to learn?" he asked as I cried. "I think you need another spanking."

"NO!" I sobbed, tears streaming down my face.

"Fine then," he said as he picked me up off the ground.

I was so tired that I couldn't fight anymore. He carried me to the bedroom and I looked up just in time to see him headed for the closet.

"NO!" I yelled again as he opened the closet door.

When he pushed me in, I pulled myself against his body. I didn't want to be locked up.

"I'm sorry," I cried as I gripped his arms as tight as I could.

"No, Bella; you have been awful today. We'll try again later," he said as he shoved me off of him and shut the door. I quickly fell to the floor and brought my knees to my chest as I started to cry harder.

The whole day had sucked, and I was kicking myself for being the cause. I sat in the closet for what felt like hours, and I was beginning to realize that I would never get away from him. I couldn't stand to even look at him, and yet he was always there. I didn't understand why he was doing this. Why me? Who cared if my father abused me? At least he didn't lock me in a closet or the house. At least I was able to go outside on my own free will.

As soon as the doorknob rattled, I stood up. When the door was opened, I ran forward, desperately trying to get out. I didn't like the closet. Of course he stopped me before I could make it through the doorway, though.

"Say it," he demanded, holding onto the tops of my arms.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I cried, clinging to his shirt.

Ten times he made me repeat it, and every time those words came out of my mouth, they came out more desperate then the last.

"Are you done being bad?" he asked as I nodded.

When he motioned for me to get out, I didn't hesitate. I couldn't take another second of being in there.

"May I have a drink?" I asked, clearing my throat and turning to face him.

I wiped at my eyes, drying the remaining tears that were there. My eyes burned, and I was sure I looked like hell, but that didn't stop Edward from looking at me like I was the most important thing in the room.

"You may," he said, holding out his hand to me.

I hesitated slightly, but then put my hand in his. And when I did, he smiled like he knew that he had won. But I was too tired to fight any more.

We went to the dining room, and I sat and waited for lunch. I was so hungry at that point; I would have sat on his lap if it meant I got to eat. He brought out a bowl of soup and my stomach grumbled loudly. I watched on as he ate a couple spoonfuls and then took a drink. He surprised me by handing me the cup, and I downed all the milk that was in it, no questions asked.

"Please fill up the cup again, Bella," he said, giving me a slight smile.

I stood up and took the cup with me to the fridge to refill it like he said. Once I was seated again, he continued to eat, not looking back at me.

"May I have some?" I asked, nervous that he was going to say no.

"Oh, you want me to feed you?" he asked in mock shock as tears pricked my eyes.

I nodded my head because I didn't trust my voice. I knew he didn't believe me, because he continued to eat without sparing me another glance.

"I'm...I'm sorry about this morning," I said as tears slipped down my face. "I won't do it again."

I really didn't like the feeling of being hungry.

I cried silently, knowing that this would just be another punishment for me.

"Bella," he said gently, causing me to look up. "Eat."

I wanted to cry happy tears when he started to feed me. I took in everything that he gave me with a smile of gratitude plastered to my face.

"Thank you," I said when the soup was gone.

"You are welcome. Go do the dishes," he said as I quickly moved.

I started running the water to wash up what I had to do, but stopped short as Edward called out from behind me.

"Put them in the dishwasher," he said as I started to wash the bowl.

I looked over my shoulder at him in confusion. Last time I did that he freaked. Was it a trick?

"Dishwasher," he said again.

I shut the water off and filled the dishes up in the machine.

"Sweep the floor in here and vacuum the dining room, and then the living room."

I nodded in understanding, and started doing as he said immediately. He watched my every move, stepping out of the way when he needed to. He put me on edge with everything I did, and I was positive I would never do anything good enough for him.

"Again," he said as I went to put the broom back.

I flinched at the tone of his voice and started all over. I made sure to get under everything, and after the third time of sweeping, he said it was good enough. By now, I was hardly getting anything up.

We went into the living room and I saw the vacuum sitting there waiting for me. I plugged it into the wall and started cleaning. I made sure to push the couch back as much as I could in order to get underneath it. When I got to the dining room, I moved all the chairs and made sure there was nothing on the floor. When I thought I was done, I shut off the vacuum and looked to Edward, only to see that he looked pissed and I had no idea why.

"Again!" he yelled. My eyes grew wide and I started to do it all over again.

As I finished with my second run through, I looked to Edward once more to see him staring at me intently.

"Again!"

"There is nothing left to do!" I cried as my nerves went into overdrive.

I watched helplessly as he walked over to the vacuum and took out the dirt holder before dumping it on the floor.

"Why would you do that!" I asked, shocked.

"Clean it," he said glaring at me.

I was truly dumbfounded at the person standing before me. My chest moved up and down quickly as I held back the tears.

"Do it yourself," I said through my teeth as he grabbed my arm.

I didn't even have time to scream as he bent me over the table and spanked me ten times in quick succession, hard.

"Do as you're told, when you are told to do it," he said after he stood me back up on my feet.

I wiped my tears away and started all over with my cleaning. When I was done, he wound up the cord and put the vacuum away. He held out his hand and brought us back to the office. He sat me down on the couch, leaning so far over me that he was practically on top of me. Every time he touched me; I flinched, which would cause him to pinch my thighs or my arms.

"Charlie never loved you," he whispered. "He beat you because he hated you. He couldn't even stand to look at you. Do you know that is what he told his friends? You were just the butt of his jokes. I discipline you because I love you and want what's best for you. I am your family, and no one but me matters to you. I would never beat you. I am the only person in this world that cares about you, and that's why you came here with me. You wouldn't know what to do without me," he said as tears formed in my eyes.

His fingers moved through my hair and I closed my eyes at the feeling of his soft, soothing touch. In my mind, I knew that was what he wanted me to say and believe. My heart was telling me that he made a fair point. Who beats the person they love?

For over an hour, he told me how bad and evil Charlie was, and how good he was. He touched me the whole time, and every time I would start to cry, he would hold me in his arms, soothing me with not only his words, but with his actions as well. I hated that I started to feel comfort from him, yet my mind craved it. As my sobs lessened, I asked for a drink and he left me alone to go get one.

I looked up to the window as a bird flew by and my eyes immediately went to the lock. Only, it didn't look like the locks that were on all the other windows. This one looked...normal. I stood up and looked toward the door to make sure Edward wasn't coming back anytime soon before making my way toward the window. I traced the lock with my fingertips and tried pushing on it to see if it would budge. When that didn't work, I tried to pull on it and twist it every which way, but it still didn't seem to want to move. Becoming more desperate, I began pushing against the window, not hearing Edward come back into the room.

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" his voice hissed out from behind me.

I gasped in terror and spun around. "It's not what it looks like," I cried.

"It's not?" he asked calmly, setting the cup of ice water on his desk.

I stood behind his desk with my back to the window, my legs shaking from the effort of trying to hold me up. I was terrified of the calm Edward before me.

My fight or flight instincts kicked in then as I tried to run past him and back into the main part of the house. I just made it to the other side of the desk when his hands reached out and snagged me.

"NO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Help me!" I tried to run, but he gripped the back of my shirt as he dragged me out of the office.

"That was so stupid of you," he snarled as he brought us to his bedroom.

"I wasn't trying to escape!" I screamed as he opened the closet door.

I knew that I had about two seconds to try and explain myself before I was thrown back into the abyss of the closet.

"I just wanted some fresh air," I screamed.

He stopped for a moment and looked down at me. My body was pressed against his, my hands on either side of the closet doorframe, pushing against him. I took his hesitance and began to spew forth whatever came to my mind.

"A bird flew by and I noticed the locks on your office windows were different," I breathed out heavily. "I just wanted to open it and get some air. I haven't been outside in weeks!"

Edward didn't say anything, but his brows were furrowed as he processed everything that I just told him. I relaxed slightly against his hold, only to stumble forward suddenly into the closet. I turned around just in time to see the door shut behind me, enclosing me in darkness once again.

I didn't get up, knowing that it would be no use. Instead, I brought my knees to my chest and cried.

"If that were the case, then you should have asked me instead of going behind my back," Edward's voice said from behind the door.

I looked underneath and saw his feet walking away. I sobbed harder, knowing that I had brought this on myself. If I had just told him what I wanted, or expressed to him what I wished, he more than likely would have obliged me. Instead I snuck behind his back, and now I was back in here because he felt like he couldn't trust me. I curled up on the floor, not bothering to wipe away the tears, and at some point I finally managed to fall asleep.

The rest of the week was rough. I was so tired that I didn't even know what day it was, and Edward was keeping me in the closet whenever there was down time. He fed me, and we did school, but that was it.

He would always tell me that we were meant for one another, and that Charlie was bad, but his new thing was on how we met. He drilled it into my head that we met while he was at his Convention in Oregon, and we fell in love and couldn't stand to be away from each other. He was right about one thing, though; I did go with him willingly. I never fought him, doing everything I had to, to survive.

Whenever I needed to clean, I would have to do it at least twice. When it came to school, he was the same way; nothing was good enough. And now he was making me write Bella Cullen on all of my papers. He had me write out 'You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward,' along with my new name fifty times, and if I wrote it with messy handwriting, he would add five more. I ended up writing it out sixty times the other day. And when we worked on Biology, he would get mad if I didn't get it right away. He explained things over and over, and sometimes I was just too tired to understand it.

I think the worst of everything, though, was when he would touch me every chance he got. If I flinched or moved away, he would get pissed, and would either pinch me or spank me. Bathroom time was becoming worse, also. He would watch me while I undressed, and he moved on to touching me while I was naked. He kept his fingers mostly around my stomach area, occasionally drifting to the sides of my hips. While my mind protested this, my body had a completely different reaction. Goosebumps would break out across my skin and I would tremble beneath his fingers. It was hard to catch my breath at these times, and he always seemed to know the effect he had on me. He would gently place a kiss to my shoulder or at the top of my breast before ushering me to the shower.

While I showered, he would talk about how great our life was going to be, the expectations that he had of me, and how well I was doing in our day-to-day life.

I felt like a zombie. I did what I needed to, just to stay out of the closet. I didn't like the closet any more. I felt like I couldn't breathe when I was in there. I would beg and cling to him, but he always made me get in. I would end up crying so much that my eyes were always burning and my head had a constant pounding to it. He would give me pain reliever if I asked for it, though.

"How'd we meet?" he asked as I undressed for my shower one morning.

"We met while you were out of town, and we couldn't stand to be away from each other," I said, believing it myself.

"We did have a nice drive here, huh?" he asked with a smile.

"We did," I said as I got in under the spray of the shower.

"Do you think I abuse you?" he asked me.

"No; you only want what's best for me," I replied, shocked.

How could I think such a thing?

What was wrong with me? Oh no...I...I...believed it. I was agreeing with him. I started to cry, my tears running with the water from the shower.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

How could I put this into words?

"I don't know," I said, not understand my feelings.

"Just finish showering and then I'll hold you," he said as I nodded, knowing he could see me.

I wanted him to hold me.

After a few more minutes, he shut the water off telling me it was time to get out. I did, and I was proud that I didn't flinch when he started to dry me off. Edward smiled and I smiled back, happy to see him happy. He hadn't smiled at me in a few days. Once I was ready for bed, he cuffed me and then lay down with me. My body melted into him and I cried. This was the first time in days that I was allowed to finally sleep in the bed and it felt amazing. He played with my hair, rubbed my back and arms, and he kissed my forehead several times. I finally fell asleep to the soft lull of his voice saying I was safe with him. And I knew that I was.

The next morning I woke up alone. I looked to Edward's side of the bed and around the room, but didn't see him anywhere. Then I heard the sound of the shower coming on and knew it must be seven. Every morning at seven, Edward got in the shower before he came to wake me up at seven fifteen. Then he had me shower for fifteen minutes before he brought us downstairs for breakfast. How he got up without an alarm clock was beyond me. It was like his body just knew when it was time for him to get up for the day.

Knowing that I would be on my own for at least the next few minutes, I sat up carefully, maneuvering my arm so that I didn't turn it awkwardly in the cuff, and leaned against the headboard with my arm bent at my side. Last night was a mistake. How could I willingly go in his arms?

Why did it feel so good? My inner voice asked.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I jumped when Edward sat at the end of the bed, looking at me thoughtfully.

"Say it," he said gently, bringing his hands to mine.

"You are all I have," I whispered, letting the words wash over me.

He truly was all that I had right now. If he let me go, where would I go? I wasn't even in Oregon any longer. And I already knew that Charlie wouldn't have reported me missing. If he reported me at all, he would have reported me as a runaway, which just meant that I would be in a heap of trouble with the law if I made it back to him.

I cleared my throat. "You are all I need."

And I guess in retrospect, Edward was kind of all I needed right now. If I had Edward, then I had food. I had clothes. I had a place to live.

"You are my life, Edward." I gasped as the truth of those words washed over me.

* * *

Hhmmm…well not much to say! Hope to hear from you in a review!


	8. Chapter 8

It's been three days...I think.

Every day is the same, and they're all beginning to blend together. Even my attitude has stayed the same: shitty. I can't seem to be good. It's not just that, though. It's what is happening inside of me that is making me act out and be defiant. It's like there are two people living inside my mind. One part of my brain is completely reliant on Edward, and knows that if I'm good, then I get good things; but if I misbehave, then I am punished. Obviously I don't like being punished, so the reasonable thing to do is to be good.

But then there's that tiny voice in my head, telling me that I'm giving in to the enemy. That I needed to fight harder, but I can't remember what I'm trying to fight for. I have everything that I need here. I have food, shelter, and clothes, but most of all, I have someone that is dedicated to me and me alone. I have someone that is looking out for my wellbeing. I have someone that wants the best for me, and who cares about me. I have someone that I never had before; I have Edward. So why am I fighting? I don't know. I just know that part of my brain won't allow me to stop. Not even if it means more punishments. I do know, though, that if I get put in that closet one more time, I'll probably have a panic attack.

But really, the hardest things to adjust to are the simple touches. He doesn't stop touching me...and every time I move or try to get him to stop, he gets pissed. The first time was really bad, and I had never been more scared of Edward. He raised his hand to me so quickly that I didn't see it coming. I flinched and jumped back, which caused me to tumble out of my chair and onto the floor. I sat on the hard, cold floor, staring up at him and watching in horror as Edward went from shell-shocked to completely enraged in the span of two seconds. It goes without saying that I didn't earn my reward that particular day.

As it stands, I've had more punishments than rewards, but to be honest, I wasn't really sure I wanted any of his rewards. My butt was still sore from the spankings, and I had bruises on my arms from him continually pinching me. Who's to say that his idea of a reward wasn't a swift kick to the shins or something along those lines?

But I digress. The spankings and pinches to my arms and thighs were how he kept me focused throughout the day. Lately, I found my mind wandering more and more, and the scary thing about it was that I wasn't even sure what I was thinking about during those times.

I felt the tug of my wrist as he unlocked the cuff. Like every morning, I rubbed the soreness out without sparing him a second glance. I knew he was standing next to me; I could feel his eyes on me. I cringed internally as I felt his hands on me, and I willed myself to not move a muscle. He started rubbing my back and arms for me, and against my better judgment, my body began to relax in his very capable hands. He knew just the right areas to rub, and used just the right amount of pressure to take away the stiffness that lingered in my muscles. I closed my eyes and dropped my head to my chest, trying not to moan out loud. After a few minutes, I felt his breath against my ear.

"Say it," he whispered.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said as if it was second nature.

I didn't even think twice about it anymore.

"How'd we meet?" he asked as he lips brushed my earlobe.

I shivered slightly, and I could feel his lips turn up in a smile. Was that a good shiver, or a bad shiver, though?

"While you were out of town. We couldn't be away from each other," I repeated.

"What's your name?"

"Bella Cullen," I said as I stretched out my muscles.

"Good girl," he said with a smile in his voice. "Get up and get dressed."

With that, I sat up and cleaned the sleep out of my eyes.

"You're going to be such a good girl today, I can just feel it," he praised, giving me a smile and wrapping his arms around me as I stood up.

My arms encircled his waist of their own accord, and I let my head fall onto his chest as I closed my eyes. I was still so tired.

"Aren't you?" he asked.

I nodded my head and hummed in content. I was starting to hate the feeling of disappointing him. And lately, I felt like that was all I was doing. I furrowed my eyebrows at him as he led me to the bathroom and handed me my clothes.

"No shower this morning," he said, answering my unspoken question. "Just do your business so we can get started on our day."

I nodded my head and began to strip out of my nightgown. I didn't even think twice about using the toilet or getting dressed in front of him anymore, and a part of my brain screamed at me that this was wrong - that there was something wrong with me. As soon as I was finished, he took my hand and placed a small kiss on the back. I blushed and smiled up at him. I was really starting to like his kisses…but at the same time, I hated them.

When we got to the dining room, I took my seat without being told and watched as Edward went and got our breakfast. As he sat beside me, I already knew what was expected, so I didn't waste any time.

"May I have some, please?" I asked, licking my lips.

The smile he gave me was radiant, and I couldn't help but smile in return, my stomach fluttering. I opened my mouth as he spoon-fed me, and like every other day, I ate what he gave me and asked for a drink whenever I needed one. We still had to share, but I found that I didn't mind that as much anymore. When I was full, he questioned me about it, but he didn't pressure me to eat more. Without being prompted, I immediately headed for the sink, knowing that it was my responsibility to clean up the breakfast dishes. The only problem was that I never knew how he wanted me to do them. His preferences changed from day to day.

"Do you want me to hand wash them or put them in the dishwasher?" I asked, turning back around to face him.

"Dishwasher," he said as I nodded.

I took the bowl and spoon and put them in the dishwasher before wetting the sponge.

"Do you want me to start it?" I asked as I walked back to him.

"Is it full?"

"Yes," I replied.

I began to get nervous and fiddled with the sponge in my hand. Was I completely messing it all up?

"Okay," he said standing up. "Head to the office when you're done; I'll be there."

"Okay," I whispered, walking back to the kitchen.

I started the dishes and then wiped down the counters. With one last glance around, I switched off the light and without even thinking about it, I headed for his office. Right before I got to open the door, I kicked myself for not trying to get away. The thought never even crossed my mind. What was I thinking? Was it that I knew on a deeper level that there was no hope for escape? Or was it that I was beginning to see this as my home? I was already seeing a change in myself and I didn't understand it. I shook off my thoughts and walked into the office. This time, I was met with a smiling Edward, and that didn't happen very often.

"You did very well," he said, still smiling.

I couldn't help smiling back at him. I did something right!

"Come sit and we'll start your school. Next week I think you can take your finals, but I have to talk to a friend of mine to find out how to get the final first."

I nodded in understanding and sat next to him. I wasn't too worried about the finals. I had always been smart when it came to school, but anything Science related hated me, and I just didn't get it. Edward was bound and determined to get me to pass Biology, though.

"Do this and see if anything that we went over yesterday stuck," he said, handing me a worksheet before picking up his book to read.

As I bent over my worksheet, Edward put his free hand behind my chair and began to rub his thumb between my shoulder blades. Thoughts of before flashed through my mind, when we were in the office and I wasn't expecting his touch. I was proud of myself for not flinching this time, and as my body adjusted to his though, it began to feel really good against my skin. It was oddly distracting.

I focused back on my paper and let out a sigh. I could do this. I think I was starting to get the concept of genetic paring. The whole dominant and recessive thing was so confusing to me. The only part of the whole concept I understood, was that if two blue-eyed people had a child, then their child would also have blue eyes. See? Easy enough...but other than that I struggled. While I worked on the paper, Edward played with my hair but it didn't bother me. When I was done, I handed it in to him and he started to look it over. I fidgeted as he took his time.

After what felt like hours, I finally broke the silence.

"Did I do okay?" I asked nervously.

"Yeah…you only missed one," he said, grinning at me.

I smiled widely in return. "Really?" I asked.

"Really," he said as I threw myself into his arms.

I hugged him tightly to me, and before I knew it, I was in his lap, my legs straddling his.

"Oh…sssorry," I said as I moved away. "I didn't mean to."

I was so worried that I just made a grave mistake that I didn't see the wide grin on Edward's face. Tears filled my eyes, and I just knew that I was going to get into trouble.

"Baby, I don't mind," he said, lifting my chin. "You can hug me or sit in my lap whenever you want to."

"Okay…I just didn't ask…I wasn't sure," I said as his smile fell slightly and his eyes stared deeply into mine.

"You never have to ask for affection, Bella," he said strongly. "If you need something like that, you come to me and I will always give it to you."

I smiled and nodded my head.

"Can I have a hug?" he asked.

Not wanting to deny him the way he promised he would never deny me, I reached out for him and hugged him around the neck. His arms went around my middle and he pulled me closer. He was so warm, and my body seemed to melt into his - like this was where I was supposed to be. When he relaxed his arms and let me out of the hug, I carefully removed myself from his lap and moved back to my chair.

"May I have a drink?" I asked.

I looked up, blushing, and saw that his eyes were soft; he was looking at me with such emotion that it brought a lump to my throat.

"You may," he said happily, handing me his cup of tea.

"I think I like the tea better," I commented as I gave him back the cup.

"I like them both," he said taking a sip. "Okay, let's get some more stuff done, and then we will take a break."

Within three hours, I had written an English essay, finished two math sheets, and had taken a Social Studies test. Edward was very happy with everything that I had done, and I felt a sense of pride at making him happy. The whole morning was so laid back, and it was such a nice change. After a bathroom break, we headed to the dining room for lunch. He made two triple meat sandwiches that we shared…like always. He also had some fresh carrots cut up, which was a nice treat.

I chewed silently on the last piece of the second sandwich that he had given me. Once I took a drink of the milk and set it back down, I wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"What do you want me to do now?" I asked.

It never failed to render me speechless when Edward smiled at me. It was such a vast difference from the way his face looked when he was angry. It happened every time I asked him what he would like me to do. He would become so happy from just that simple question, and it made me want to do whatever I needed to, to keep him happy. I couldn't deal with anymore punishments, and more than that, I wanted to be a good girl…for him.

"Dishes," he said thoughtfully. "Unload the dishwasher, sweep the floor, and vacuum the living room. Then I think that's it for the day. I'm going to go call my friend about your finals, and then I'll come find you. You are being a very good girl today, so please keep it up," he said as I nodded.

He kissed my forehead, but he moved quickly and I flinched.

"Careful," he warned.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean it," I said as my eyes filled with tears.

"Don't do it again today and we will be okay," he said severely.

I nodded my head and stepped into his open arms.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," I said into his shirt.

He hugged me back and I felt him run his fingers on the skin of my back that was exposed from my shirt riding up. "So sorry," I whispered.

"Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life," I said into his chest.

"Get your chores done," he said, kissing my forehead again.

I stepped out of his embrace and cleared my throat as I set off to do as I was told.

I did everything that Edward had listed, but I seemed to have gotten done too quickly. I felt like I was forgetting something. I paced the front room and chewed on my fingernails, thinking over what I should have done. I ran through the list in my head a hundred times as I felt tears fill my eyes because I knew something was missing. But what did I miss?

"Bella," Edward said, scaring me. "What's wrong?"

"I think I forgot to do something, but I don't know what," I replied as I tried not to cry.

He left me in the front room to take a look around. I wiped the tears away, knowing that I did something wrong. I just knew it.

"What do you think you missed?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't know," I said as more tears came.

"What did I tell you to do?" he asked, staring down at me.

"Dishes, sweep, vacuum," I listed quickly.

"But you forgot something?"

"Yes, and I don't know what it is! I always mess up!" I said, throwing my hands in the air.

"You did forget something…" he said as I started to cry.

"Just tell me what it is and I'll do it," I begged.

Instead of answering, he just stood there and stared at me. He wasn't going to tell me what I forgot. He was going to wait until I thought of it myself. But I had no clue what I missed!

"Oh my God! Just tell me!" I yelled.

I couldn't take it anymore. My heart was beating at a dangerous pace and I was sweating. I knew the moment I lashed out that it was a mistake. Edward lunged forward and grabbed me by the arm and started pulling me with him.

"No…NO!" I yelled as I started to fight him. "Edward, I'm sorry…please just tell me what I need to do."

He still didn't say a word as he pulled me into his bedroom.

"Please…please…not the closet," I cried as I tried to loosen his fingers on my arm.

"You don't ever get to yell at me!" he said as we reached the closet.

"I won't do it again. I'm so sorry. I'm trying so hard to be good," I cried as I pulled on his arm.

I fought tooth and nail to not get put in the closet, but he was so strong.

"Just so you know, you didn't forget anything," he said as I clawed at his shirt.

"No, Edward, please," I sobbed as I locked my arms around his neck. "Please."

I clung to his neck and desperately tried to wrap my legs around his waist. "I don't like the closet."

I didn't know what else to do, and without thinking I started kissing his face. "Please don't make me go in there. Please," I cried as I peppered soft, quick kisses all over his face.

"Do you think a few kisses will keep you from the closet?" he asked as he pulled his face away from me.

I pressed my lips to his and I clung to his neck without answering. I would do whatever it took to avoid being put in there again. He surprised me, though, when he kissed me back and I found myself relaxing in his hold. He had his hand on my stomach and my arms fell from his neck to his arms. His lips felt soft and…I wanted…more? I didn't even notice him moving, I was so caught up in our kiss, that the next thing I knew, the door to the closet was shutting with me on the inside.

"Edward!" I yelled as I started to freak out. "I'm sorry!"

I pounded on the door, sobbing. "I'll be good," I cried as I slid down the wall.

My breathing started to pick up and my heart was racing so fast I thought it was going to explode.

"Edward, I'm scared. Let me out please," I begged.

I closed my eyes and just waited….

I was stuck in the closet for what I was sure was hours. I had no voice left, I was covered in sweat, and I was pretty sure my hands were bleeding from banging on the door so much. I couldn't stop coughing, and my throat was killing me. I wanted Edward so badly. I wanted out, and he was the only one that could make that happen.

"Edward," I squeaked. "I don't want to be in here," I said as my voice cracked. "Please?" I coughed. "My throat hurts. May I have a drink?"

I put my ear to the door but I couldn't hear anything. "I need you. I don't want to be in here anymore. I'm sorry; I'll be good, I promise."

With no answer or even a sound from the other side of the door, I put my head in my hands and just cried and cried. All I wanted was to get out. When I heard the rattle of the door knob, I jumped to my feet. As soon as I saw the smallest amount of light let into the closet, I pushed through the door and ran straight into Edward.

"Edward," I croaked as I clung to his shirt.

"Baby, what did you do?" he asked gently as I pushed myself into him more.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, I promise you are. I will do anything as long as you never put me in there again. Please! I can't be in there for hours. Please, I'm so sorry," I cried as he held my hands so he could see the damage I had caused.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, closing my eyes. "I'll be good."

"Bella, Baby, you need to calm down," he said as I tried to stop crying.

He held my hand until we were in the bathroom, then he left my side for a second so that he could start the water in the bathtub. I was mildly happy that he wasn't forcing me into the standup shower. I wasn't sure if I could stand on my own for a long period of time yet or not. As the tub was being filled, he walked back to me and undressed me himself. I couldn't bring myself to argue or fight him. I never wanted to go back into the closet, and I knew that I would do anything to stay out of there. Once I was completely bare, he held my hand in his and gently situated me in the tub. He pushed the water over my body and I sunk down lower. The warmth felt so good on my chilled skin.

"You can't leave me in there for hours," I croaked as I started to cry again.

"Sweetie, you were only in there for thirty minutes," he said, pouring water over my head.

"I'm sorry," I cried as he put his forehead to mine.

I brought my wet hand to his head and started to beg. "Can you please forgive me?"

"Yes, Baby. You are forgiven. If you're really good, I will never put you back in the closet. I will still give you spankings, but I believe that you have learned your lesson with the closet…"

"Thank you," I said as I hugged him to my naked body. "Thank you."

I was so relieved that tears slipped down my face as I pressed my lips to his.

"I like your kisses," he said, causing me to giggle.

"I like yours, too," I said as I blushed.

Part of me was saying that I shouldn't like them as much as I did.

"You have done very well for most of the day, and after your bath, we'll finish up," he said as I nodded.

"Lay back," he said gently, helping me lay down fully on the bottom of the tub.

I squeezed my eyes shut as he poured water over my head, being careful not to get it in my eyes. I hummed in content as his fingers massaged my scalp, deeply working in the conditioner. Once my hair was clean to his satisfaction, he adjusted me so that I was sitting as he rubbed in the body wash between his palms. I brought my knees to my chest and hunched over slightly as he started to wash my back. His hands felt so good on my abused muscles, and I couldn't help but to relax from his touch.

"You need to clean the bathroom and our room. Then come to the office and do your reading. I would like you to try to get five chapters done."

"I can do that," I said, smiling.

He helped me out of the tub and drained it before drying me off. He gave me clean clothes to put on, and as soon as I was dressed, I started in on the chores that he gave me. As I cleaned the bathroom, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Edward was standing there watching me with the hair brush in his hand.

"I need to brush your hair; we don't want you to have tangles," he said as I rushed to his side.

I kind of liked it when he brushed my hair. He pushed all of my hair over my shoulder and I flinched when he kissed my neck.

"No more flinching," he said quickly as the back of the hair brush connected with my thigh.

I gasped in pain and my hand immediately covered the area that he hit.

"I'm sorry," I hissed, rubbing out the sting.

Instead of answering, he placed more kisses on the sides of my neck, and my head automatically tilted to one side to give him better access. Once he was done, he sent me off to do the rest of my chores.

I quickly got back to work, knowing that he still wanted me to read five chapters. I tried to do everything twice - just so I knew that it was done the way he wanted it. Once everything was in order, I headed to the office. I found Edward running on the treadmill that he had in there.

"Sit and read; you have one hour," he said as I nodded in understanding.

I sat cross-legged on the couch and read more of 'The Lord of the Flies' that he had assigned me.

I barely noticed when Edward finished his run, or while he typed away on his keyboard and made the occasional phone call; I got carried away in my book, not even noticing the passing time. Sitting on the couch with a book that I could get lost in and forget about my own impending future was the perfect getaway for me. It wasn't until he stood up and stretched that he caught my attention.

"How many chapters did you read?" he asked, coming to stand beside me.

I quickly marked my page and flipped through the chapters to see how many I completed, silently praying that I had done what was required. I could kick myself for not paying closer attention.

"Four," I whispered, looking up at him. To my surprise, Edward smiled and held out his hand. I placed the book in it and grabbed on to his other one tentatively.

"That's great," he praised. "You're right on track."

I breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled back at him. I held on to his hand as he led us through his office and back into the main area of the house, startled when he turned and settled down onto the couch. I stood, awkwardly wringing my hands as he situated himself, until he reached up and pulled me onto his lap. I let out a squeak of surprise and gripped his shoulders for support. It took a moment for me to catch my breath, but once I did, I was acutely aware of how intimately we were placed.

Edward's hands were wrapped around my waist and my hands were on his shoulders as if holding him in place. I coughed nervously and did my best to wriggle off of his lap and onto the cushion beside me. To my horror, though, the more I moved, the tighter his grip became on my hips.

"Edward?" I whispered as my heart beating erratically against my rib cage.

I watched helplessly as Edward brought his left hand up and traced his fingers across my forehead and down my cheek until his fingertips rested on my bottom lip. My skin burned where he touched, and my face heated up in embarrassment. But at that moment, I was just thankful that I didn't flinch and cause more harm to myself by making him angry.

I didn't dare try and talk with his finger right near my mouth, lest I accidentally brush his finger with my tongue. My eyes followed his other hand as he reached up and tangled his fingers in my hair gently, bringing his forehead to mine. I exhaled shakily, my hands clenched into fists on my lap. My eyes closed on their own accord, and I could feel his breath washing over me, his distinct smell filling my senses.

I didn't even flinch or jump when I felt his lips press tenderly to my nose. I kept my eyes shut as his nose skimmed across my cheeks to my ear.

"You are so perfect," he whispered, moving his nose down my jaw.

His other hand then moved back to my hips, his fingers pushing up the hem of my shirt so that his skin was directly on mine.

"I'm all you will ever need," he said, pressing tiny kisses to the other side of my jaw.

I took in a deep, shuddering breath and willed myself to remain perfectly still.

"You are my life," I whispered back.

I froze as Edward stilled, afraid that I had done or said something wrong. I opened my eyes when I felt Edward lean back, and saw that he was smiling, his hands placed back at my waist.

"And you are mine," he replied.

My heart continued to pound through my chest and I just knew that Edward could hear it. It sounded so loud in the silence of the room. I kept my eyes trained on him as he moved back slightly; putting a bit more room between us. My mind felt cloudy, and it was difficult to bring my full attention back on the man in front of me.

"You are so young and have been through more than what most people go through in one lifetime," Edward said, his fingers moving across my hip bones.

I felt a flare of indignation rise within me. "I'm of legal age in over one hundred different countries," I countered.

Edward chuckled softly. "It was meant to be a compliment."

I nodded but said nothing. I didn't understand him. It was like he brought me up only to force me down again, and the worst part was that I loved the compliments. I loved being told that I was brave and strong for what I went through. I loved the fact that someone was actually acknowledging me for once, and recognizing that what my father did to me was wrong. That someone was on my side.

As if he could read my mind, Edward continued. "You're brave and beautiful, and you deserve so much better than that life you had before. I will see that you have everything you will ever need. I will look after you and will never raise a hand to you in anger. I am nothing like Charlie. I hate your father for what he has done to you."

"What is your name?" he asked suddenly.

"Bella Ss-Cullen," I answered, immediately seeing what he was trying to do.

Edward shook his head, his eyes hard. "Try again. What is your name?"

"Bella Cullen," I replied softly.

"How did we meet?" he asked, leaning in closer to me again.

I let out a tiny breath, grateful that he was looking over my mistake. "While you were away at a convention."

"Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said as his hands moved to my own, forcing my fists to unclench.

"Charlie was an evil man, Bella," Edward said. "I saved you from him and from a life not worth living. Now you can have the life you deserve. I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated."

My mind warred inside me. Charlie was evil. I always knew it. I just never had anyone to confirm it. They all believed that he was this outstanding person who cherished and protected. They never saw what went on behind closed doors, though. Or if they did, they didn't care enough to step in.

"I'm so confused," I admitted, tears stinging my eyelids.

My mind was tired. My body was tired. I was mentally exhausted and had been for the last few years. Here was someone willing to give me a new life - a fresh start - and I was fighting him every step of the way.

But why?

Maybe because he kidnapped you! My inner voice screamed at me. Maybe because he's locked you up.

Kidnapped me from what though? I argued. From being beaten every day? From the hell that my life was before? Edward has never raised his hand against me the way Charlie always did. The worst Edward had ever done was locked me in a closet, and while I hated it, I think I preferred it over being beaten until I passed out.

"It's okay to be confused," Edward whispered, intertwining our fingers. "I'm here for you, but you have to learn how to rely on me. You have to learn that I only want what's best for you. You have to earn my trust," he said, squeezing my hands gently to emphasize his point.

"How do I do that?" I asked, tears slipping down my face. "I don't know how to be good. I try...I'm trying, but all I seem to do is make the same mistakes over and over again. I have this want…no, this need to please you, to make you happy with me and I don't know why. I want to please you, but another part of me is telling me to fight it, to fight you. But I'm so tired of fighting."

By now, I was full out crying, my head bowed and tears falling onto our joined hands.

"I don't understand," I admitted.

"You don't have to understand," Edward said, tipping my chin up with his finger so that we made eye contact. "You just have to let me guide you. Can you do that? Let go of your fear, Bella, and let me help you."

I was so tired by the end of the day and I just wanted to go to sleep. I put on the pajamas that Edward had laid out for me and then he cuffed me to the bed so he could do his thing. He took a shower, and I caught myself watching him as he came out of the bathroom. I quickly shut my eyes so I wouldn't look. I felt a tug on my wrist and my eyes snapped open.

"What are you doing? Aren't we going to bed?" I asked as he smiled.

"You were a good girl today. You only had one punishment, and that's the best you've done to date. You deserve a little something," he said, lying next to me once I was un-cuffed.

"Yeah?" I asked with a smile.

"Are you going to be good and go to sleep?"

"Yes, I promise," I said with a smile.

"Okay then, get comfortable," he said with a chuckle.

I rolled around a bit and settled with hugging half of my pillow and lying halfway on my stomach.

"Good?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah," I giggled.

He moved closer to me, putting one hand above my pillow while the other rested on my waist.

"Say it, Baby," he said as he snuggled into me.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said as I closed my eyes.

He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me gently. I smiled into his lips and followed his lead. I had to trust him. I took a breath through my mouth and he gently pushed his tongue in, grazing mine. I pulled back in fright, never having experienced that before.

"It's okay; it's no different than when you eat or drink after me," he said as I brought my face back to his.

This time I didn't pull away, and even put my tongue in his mouth, tasting him in a way I never had before. He sucked on my tongue and lower lip before pulling away, breathing heavily.

"Good girl," he praised, bringing me even closer to his body. "Goodnight, Baby."

"Goodnight, Edward," I whispered.

The rest of the week went really well…kind of. I still wasn't doing everything right, but I was getting better. Edward was preparing to go back to work soon, but he said I wasn't going to be alone. The thought of being alone scared me, but I wasn't sure what he was planning on doing, and that scared me even more.

I took my finals and I was so happy that I passed everything! When Edward told me how well I did, I hugged and kissed him in my excitement. He picked me off the ground and I wrapped my legs around his waist as we showered each other with affection. I was so happy, and Edward was so proud of me, that he let me sleep un-cuffed again that night. That was when I slept the best. He held on to me tighter, like he was afraid I would try to escape, but I think that helped me sleep better, too.

Friday night, Edward announced that he was going back to work the following Monday; it wasn't a very good day. I don't know why, but after his announcement, I was so bad that he almost put me in the closet again. I ended up with three spankings that day, and I didn't know what was wrong with me. When I couldn't explain it right, Edward said that I was due for my period soon so it was more than likely a case of PMS. I blushed in embarrassment that he knew the ins and outs of my body better than I seemed to.

To my surprise and guilt, Edward simply warned me to learn how to deal with it better and not lash out at him. I cried and told him I was sorry, which caused him to hold me until I felt better.

"You are going to meet my parents tomorrow," he said suddenly. "My mother will be sitting with you throughout the day while I'm at work," he said as my head tilted to the side.

"She will treat you no differently than how I treat you. She isn't allowed to punish you, but she will give me a full report when I get home. She is allowed to put you in timeout, though, so if you don't want that to happen, you need to behave," he said as I nodded.

"Can we go to the beach this summer?" I asked, suddenly remembering him telling me at the beginning of the week that there was a beach near here.

"I'm adding a reward to your list," Edward said, writing on my chart.

"What reward?" I asked excitedly.

I had been doing very well, and so far I had earned the right to sleep without being handcuffed to the bed, and had earned a little extra down time to read while Edward was busy with business.

"There's a beach about ten miles from here. One of these days I would like to take you," he said with a smile.

I felt like my grin would split my face it was so big. "Really?"

"Really," he laughed. "That is one of the bigger rewards though, so you're going to have to be on your best behavior when I have to go back to work."

I felt a sharp pain in my thigh and looked down to see that Edward had pinched me. "Ow," I said quietly.

"You need to pay attention or you are going to sleep in the closet," he said as I hugged myself closer to him. "Your day will be like it is now. You get up when Esme tells you to, and she will sit in the bedroom with you until you are dressed. We will only do your showers at night because I am the only one that can touch you. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes," I said.

"I will have your clothes laid out for you, so that won't change. Esme will make you breakfast, and I will give her your list of chores. Since you aren't doing school right now, you will read a book a week and write me a paper on it. If it's not completed or it's done poorly, you will be punished."

"Will she feed me like you do?" I asked, knowing that would be embarrassing.

"That will depend on your behavior," he said as I nodded. "You can talk to my mother about anything. I think you'll find that she is a very easy person to get along with, and I know that you two will become very close."

"I will be good for her, I promise," I said.

Edward smiled at me and lowered his face to mine. This was part of our routine now. We kissed every night before bed, and I was really starting to like it. I was more nervous than I let on about meeting his parents, though, and I wondered if they would approve of me…I just wanted to be good enough.

See you next week! Not much to say this week. Thanks for the reviews we love them!


	9. Chapter 9

Here we are with another update! I know a lot of you are asking many questions that we can't answer. I am not ignoring you I just can't answer them without giving everything away.

Thanks for the reviews we are loving them please keep them coming! Thanks to toocute24 and teamalltwlight for all the help that they give for this story!

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The water was splashing all around me, bouncing off of my knee and into my face, but I didn't have time to worry about that. My time was almost up in the shower - I could feel it - and I still had half a leg to go. Deciding to forego shaving cream on the rest of my leg, I ran the razor over my skin as fast as I dared. I was already guaranteeing myself razor burn, as it was. I huffed in annoyance, but didn't dare stop what I was doing. I still didn't understand why he thought I could do everything I needed to do in fifteen minutes. I was just starting on the upper part of my thigh when the water shut off.

"No," I whined. I think there was even a foot stomp in there, too. "I need five more minutes."

I quickly turned the water back on and was able to do three more strokes before he shut the water off again.

"Time to get out…now," he said quietly.

I could hear everything in his voice, and I knew that he was angry.

"But I'm almost done," I said, knowing my tears were coming.

"Now," he said sternly.

I was so close to finishing that I kept going, water be damned. I knew I was just asking for trouble, but I didn't want prickly legs. Before I could touch the razor back to my thigh, Edward flung open the door and grabbed the wrist that was working on my leg. I struggled against him as he took the razor from me and helped me out of the shower.

"I just wanted to finish," I said as my tears fell; I knew I disappointed him.

"You should have asked for more time," he said, placing the razor on the counter and motioning for me to turn around so he could dry my hair.

"What's the big deal?"

"Enough!" he yelled, making me jump.

I remained silent the rest of the time as he dried my body, and when we were back in our room, he immediately placed me over his knee.

"I have no clothes on!" I yelled as his hand came down on my bare ass.

The sting of his hand ran through my entire body.

"Please stop; it hurts!" I cried as I clung to his leg.

I was grateful that he only gave me five swats. It hurt way more without any clothes on, and with my bottom still somewhat damp, it not only made a loud noise, but it had much more of a sting to it than normal. I sobbed loudly as he stood me up between his legs and rubbed some of the sting out.

"That really hurt," I whimpered.

Edward wrapped the towel back around me and rubbed my arms. "All your punishments will be given like this from now on."

"Why?" I cried.

"Because it seems to have more of an effect on you," he said thoughtfully.

I cried and laid my head on his shoulder as he comforted me. "All you had to do was ask for more time."

"Can I go finish then, please?" I asked, knowing that it was a long shot.

"No; it's time to get dressed."

I exhaled shakily and willed myself not to cry again. All I would have to do tomorrow is try to finish, and if I ran out of time, then I just needed to ask for more. Belatedly, I realized that I should have just done that to begin with. I was betting that the outcome would have been much different.

"I'm sorry," I said into his neck.

"You're forgiven," he said, lifting my face to kiss my lips. "Get dressed so I can brush your hair."

I stood up and moved a couple of feet to his right to go through the clothes that were lying on the bed.

"Edward," I said getting his attention. "There's no bra here."

"A bra would show with the dress. Don't question me," he warned.

I cringed as I pulled the dress over my head. It was really low cut, and I felt like my boobs were going to fall out. I walked to Edward as I tried to readjust myself.

"Stop," he said, chuckling.

"I think they're going to fall out," I said, pulling the fabric up over my breasts, trying to make more of it magically appear.

"Here, let me help you," he said as I dropped my hands.

I gasped in shock as Edward put his hand down the front of my dress and lifted my breast, adjusting it so that it was sitting in the built-in cup of the dress. As he moved to pull his hand out, his fingers ran over my nipple, causing it to harden immediately. I flinched at the feeling of his skin on such a sensitive part of me.

Unfortunately, my reaction was not unnoticed by Edward. "Behave."

"Sorry," I said immediately, biting my lip.

He did the same with my other breast, and I didn't understand the way my body was reacting. Both of my nipples were painfully hard, but at least I didn't feel like they were going to fall out any more.

"Thank you," I said.

"You are so perfect," he said, kissing my lips.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I flinched; it just felt…strange," I explained as he turned me around to brush my hair.

"Strange bad or strange good?"

I thought about it for a moment and remembered how his touch felt.

"Good," I said slowly.

"Good," he said with a smile in his voice. "Do you want to make deal?" he asked, kissing my neck.

"What kind of deal?"

"If you are a good girl all day, and go without being punished, I will take you for a walk later," he said as I whipped around to look at him.

"Outside?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes, but you would have to be extra good and hold my hand the whole time…"

"I'll be so good! Thank you!" I exclaimed, throwing myself into his arms.

"But if you're bad," he said, holding me by the back of my neck and talking right in my ear. "You will have a bruised ass and you will be in the closet for days."

My whole body started to shake. That was the last thing I wanted.

"I promise I'll be good," I swore as tears welled up in my eyes. "I'll be good."

"You know I will do it," he threatened.

"I'll be good," I cried as I clung to him more.

"Just think about not getting out for days. Stuck in that little, tiny space with no light or comfort - all by yourself. I wouldn't even come in to the room to see you…well, I would so you could use the bathroom, but that would be it. Would you like to go without food? You wouldn't have anything at all," he said, whispering the last part in my ear.

I was so scared that I thought I was going to pass out.

"I'll be good," I whimpered.

"Would you like to go sit in there for a little bit now?"

"NO! I'll be good, I swear."

"Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward. Please, I'll be good. We met while you were out of town and I can't stand the thought of being without you. I need you - only you. I'll be so good," I cried as I straddled his lap just to get closer to him.

"Hmm…" he said, placing his hands on my ass. "Maybe you should just see the inside of the closet so you don't forget how much you love it."

"No, no, no. Please don't make me go in there again. I'll be good…I'll be so good," I promised as he stood with me wrapped around him.

I hung onto the back of his shirt so tightly that my hands hurt. "Don't put me in there, please," I cried, hiding my face in the crook of his neck.

"Look how little it is, Baby," he said kissing my jaw. "Look, Bella, or you'll go in there right now."

My whole body shook as I turned my head to see the opened door. "This is where you'll be if you make one wrong move; do you understand?"

"Yes," I said, looking him right in the eye.

I knew I was going to be on my best behavior. There was nothing worse to me at the moment, than being locked in the closet. I couldn't ever go back in there. The thought of being in there for days was crippling to me.

"Anything you want, I'll do it," I swore.

"You promise?"

"I promise," I said sincerely.

"I'm going to make you keep that promise," he said with a smile as he shut the closet door.

My whole body completely relaxed and I tightened my legs around Edward's waist, grateful that he held me until I was much calmer. I was going to be good and no one was going to make me fail. I closed my eyes and just relished in the feel of Edward's light touches. He was all I needed.

I'm losing you, my inner self whispered. You need to run.

If I ran, I would be locked in the closet and I couldn't do that again.

Tell his parents that he kidnapped you.

That thought made me stop short. Kidnapped? We met at his convention. There was no kidnapping…

"Want some breakfast, Baby?" Edward asked, bringing my attention back to him by holding my face in his hands.

I didn't trust my voice so I nodded my head.

After breakfast, we went about our day the way we always did. I did my chores…twice because I didn't want to be bad; I wanted to go outside, to breathe clean air. After that, Edward led the way to the office where I was to read a few chapters of my new book. Edward wanted me to read a book each week and then write an essay about it throughout the summer, saying that it would get me ready for my next year of schooling.

"School?" I asked, confused but still taking the book that he was offering me.

"Yes, school. You will finish high school," he said determinedly.

"No, I want to finish," I agreed. "I meant will I be doing school here while you're at work?"

Furrowing his brows, Edward crouched down so that we were at eye level. "I had actually planned for you to go to the local high school here," he informed me. "But you have to earn my trust first."

I nodded my head, knowing that trust was very important to him, but I was extremely leery at the same time. "Is doing school here an option?" I asked.

I think I would prefer doing school at home, in the environment that I was used to - that was safe. I furrowed my brows and tried to think of the last time I was in school. I could remember walking down endless hallways with nameless faces on either side of me, but the memories were so hazy; it was like walking through a fog.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, placing his hands on my knees.

I placed my hands on top of his absentmindedly, lost in my thoughts. "I-I don't know," I replied honestly. "I think I can remember going to school, but the memories are so vague that it's hard to tell if it was real or if it was a dream."

I rubbed the front of my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

Edward squeezed my hands in his before replying. "No, doing school here isn't an option," he finally answered. "I can't be here with you, and I think it will be good for you to have some socialization when I feel like you are ready."

"How will you know when I'm ready?" I asked, confused yet again. "I don't think I'm ready. I feel more comfortable here…at home with you," I admitted.

Edward smiled wide and leaned forward to press a kiss to my forehead. "You are more ready than I thought," he whispered so softly that I wasn't even sure I had heard him correctly.

We made eye contact then, and I couldn't look away. His bright green eyes were penetrating me with their stare, and I felt like he could see deep into my soul. He had this look about him that made me want to crawl into his pocket, or wrap myself around him, knowing that no harm could come to me as long as I was with him. It didn't make sense. But then again, not many things made sense anymore.

I was forgetting things, and when I tried to remind myself, nothing would come to mind. Late at night, while waiting to drift off into dreamland, I would try and think of my life pre-Edward. I would focus as hard as I could, but all I could seem to remember were flickers of nameless faces or ghost places that I could not remember visiting. Instead, thoughts of Edward and what he wanted me to do dominated my thoughts. I would remember the way his lips felt on mine, or the way he held me after a punishment. The closet would even creep into my thoughts, but I would quickly shove it to the side. As long as I behaved, I didn't need to worry about that anymore.

Edward finally tore his gaze from mine as he stood up, only to lean down again to place a chaste kiss to my lips.

"Get started," he demanded, throwing me a quick smile.

I nodded my head and adjusted my position on the couch to make myself more comfortable. I heard Edward talking on the phone and it made me smile. He was using the phone a lot more around me, and I knew that meant that he was starting to trust me. I certainly wasn't about to do anything to betray the trust that I had worked so hard to get.

After I was done reading the chapters I needed to, I asked to use the bathroom. He nodded his head and gestured for me to go ahead. He was letting me go alone and I didn't know why.

I walked into our room and headed straight for the bathroom.

What are you doing? my inner voice yelled. Run! Get out and get help.

I scoffed mentally at the thought of running. Edward was a cop who had a lot of cop friends. What was I supposed to say, anyway? That Edward clothed me, fed me, and gave me a roof over my head? That I was complaining because I was being taken care of? I shook my head at those ludicrous thoughts and found myself in the bathroom, ignoring my inner voice. Why was part of me still fighting this?

"Say it," Edward said as I was washing my hands, scaring me half to death.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said sincerely, willing my heart to calm back down.

I loved the smile that spread across his face.

"How'd we meet?"

"When you went out of town for your convention."

"What state did we meet in?" he asked as I turned back to look at him.

"Um…" I said biting my lip.

This was something I should have remembered. Edward's stare was scaring me. He was waiting for an answer, but I couldn't think straight.

"What state?" he asked harshly.

My chest started to heave up and down in anxiety because I didn't know what he wanted me to say.

"Oregon," I said as my eyes started to water. "I don't know what you want me to say. I don't know if you want me to remember or if you just want me to forget," I admitted, making him smile.

That caught me off guard. Did I say the right thing?

"Your life was nothing before me," he said, stalking towards me. "I am your life and you don't need anyone aside from me. You were beaten and unloved, but that's all changed. You are loved and cared for now. You had no life before me. You will only ever remember me," he said, blocking me in with his arms on the sink. "If you speak about anyone other than me, you will be punished. I will wash your mouth out with soap, spank you, and I may even put you in your most favorite place. Don't test me today. I am your everything," he said, pushing himself into me. "I love you, Baby."

I gasped in surprise and felt the blood drain from my cheeks. He hadn't said he loved me for a while now. I thought for sure I had been so bad that he would never say it again. He has said that he has love for me, but this was the first time in a long time that he actually used those words. I felt like I was frozen, but I could feel a slight pinch in my sides from where his fingers were digging into my skin.

"I love you so much that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to marry you and have a baby with you. You would make an amazing wife and mother. We will have such a great life together. Can you picture us together like that?" he asked, kissing the tops of my breasts.

As he spoke the words, the mental pictures flew through my mind: me sitting on the porch swing, my hands on top of my swollen abdomen that housed his child. I could picture Edward and me on the floor playing with a little girl with bronze colored hair and bright, green eyes. I saw myself taking care of Edward the way a wife was supposed to care for her husband; the way it was portrayed on television and in movies. The last image though, is the one that stuck out to me the most; Edward looking down at me with love shining through every part of him, his lips tenderly touching my own. I could see him picking up the little girl that would complete us as a family. A family…something I don't think I had ever had before.

"Yes," I whispered out as his mouth moved to my own. "Yes, yes," I whispered as tears slipped from the corner of my eyes.

His kiss was gentle, sweet, passionate, and I couldn't get enough of him.

"I can't wait until we are married…" he said, trailing off at the end.

He kept kissing me, and my lips tingled with every stroke. I wanted him in every way.

Run, Bella; run far away. You need to get away from him. Please, you need to run! my inner voice shouted inside my head.

I mentally flipped her off and wound my fingers through Edward's hair, trying to bring him even closer. In one swift move, Edward lifted me up and sat me gently on the bathroom counter, our lips still locked in their own embrace. My knees parted automatically and he stepped between them, pressing his upper body to mine.

"You didn't say it back," Edward noticed, breathing heavily with his forehead rested on mine.

I sucked air into my lungs and tried to calm my racing heart, but it felt like I had swallowed a piece of ice. Was he mad that I didn't say it back? Would I be punished for it?

"I can't," I whispered.

Edward jerked his head up sharply and I clung to the front of his shirt. "I don't know what love is!" I cried quickly.

When I saw his stance relax I rambled on, hoping to keep him from getting angry. "I've never had it before…I don't think. I don't remember what love is. I don't know what it is," I repeated, finishing in a whisper.

During my rant, Edward had managed to wrap me in his arms once more, and I sobbed both in relief and frustration. What was love exactly? Was it the fluttering in my stomach that I got when he held me or kissed me?

"I want to love you," I said as the voice in my head started to cry. "But I don't know how."

"You sweet, sweet girl," Edward whispered, bringing his lips back down to mine. "I will teach you everything you need to know."

Nothing else needed to be said as I attacked his lips once more, never wanting the feeling to end. I felt like the most beautiful person in the world, like I mattered. I groaned as I felt Edward's erection against my leg, but at the same time, I was completely terrified at what that meant.

"I've never…" I stammered, blushing.

"You've never what, beautiful girl?" Edward asked, lifting my chin up so he could see my eyes.

"I don't know how…to please…you," I whispered, looking down at the tent in his pants.

To my surprise, Edward let out a dark chuckle and hugged me close. "I know, and I can't tell you how much that pleases me."

I smiled greatly at the thought of pleasing him when I didn't even mean to.

"We won't be moving our relationship forward until after we are married," Edward continued, stroking my back with his fingers.

A part of me was relieved at the thought of that, but at the same time, if we continued with the way we were going now, I had no idea how I was supposed to make it until we could be married.

No Bella! My inner voice screamed. You don't want this! What are you doing?

I smirked at how desperately half of my brain continued to fight, but how weak the voice was now compared to just a few days ago. Edward was my everything, and I didn't need anyone but him.

After I washed my face per his request, we headed downstairs. He told me to set the table for four people, and I did so without question. I kept placing and replacing the dishes to make sure everything was perfect. My hands felt a little shaky from my nerves, and I didn't know how to calm down. Once each seat had a place setting, I went to find Edward.

"Hey, Princess, is the table all set?" he asked as I smiled.

I loved it when he looked so happy.

"Yes, but do you want me to cook something?" I asked as he shook his head.

"My parents are bringing lunch. Come sit with me," he offered, opening his arms for me.

I rushed to his side and sat on my knees as close to him as I could get. I closed my eyes as he put one hand behind my back and kissed my chest. I think he liked the dress.

"I love having a woman that likes to cook," Edward said, running his fingers through my hair.

I giggled as his fingertips tickled the side of my neck and I squirmed into his side. "Why is that?" I asked, somewhat confused.

"Because you are an awesome cook and know your way around the kitchen," he complimented. "Which means that I don't have to cook every night when I get off work."

I nodded and snuggled into his side. "I'll cook whatever you like," I said with a happy sigh. "I just might need some cookbooks for some recipes."

"I can get those for you," he said, brushing his lips against mine.

As our tongues became tangled up in one another, I had a thought come to mind that I couldn't help but voice.

"Edward," I asked, pulling away. "How do you know that I like to cook?"

I concentrated hard, but couldn't remember cooking myself. How did he know?

"I know you, Bella," he said, smoothing out the crease between my eyebrows with his thumb. "And you like to cook for me. You've said it yourself."

"I have?" I asked, even more confused.

This time Edward chuckled and hugged me close. "You silly girl; of course you have. You love to cook and you're very talented in the kitchen. My favorite, of course, is when you make your famous beef stew."

I was more confused than ever, but knew that there was no reason for Edward to lie to me. I just wished I could remember cooking for him and instantly felt terrible that I didn't.

"Well, as soon as I get those cookbooks, I will cook it again for you," I said with a smile.

"Say it," Edward whispered, trailing his lips around the corners of my mouth.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I whispered, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes with the weight of my words. "I would marry you if it made you happy," I said, shifting to sit into his lap.

"I want you to marry me because you want to, not to make me happy," he countered, rubbing his nose against mine.

"I want to because it will make you happy," I said, moving back to him. "Because when you're happy, I'm happy. I don't understand it," I admitted, "but I don't want to fight it."

"What's your name?"

"Bella Cullen," I answered without hesitation.

"What's your father's name?"

I opened my mouth but quickly closed it. I was so confused that I didn't know what he wanted me to say anymore.

"Charlie." I met Edward's stare and cringed back slightly from his intense gaze. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

Edward seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance he was in before smiling and hugging me close once more. "Not at all, but I want you to think about something. I am all you need to know now. I am your past, your present, and your future. You don't need to know or remember anyone else besides me. Do you understand?"

His voice dropped as he went on, and I found myself nodding in agreement before he had even finished speaking.

"I understand," I whispered.

"You need to tell yourself every chance you have that I am the only person that matters. There is no one before me. Your life started with me," he said as I nodded.

"Only you," I confirmed.

"That's right, only me," he said as I stood and stared at him. "Do want to be with him?"

"Charlie?" I asked as he nodded. "No never. He beat me...he was horrible to me. I never want to see him again."

"That's right. He never loved you."

"You saved me," I said as he smiled.

"I would do it again."

"Can I give you a kiss?" I asked, hoping this would make him happy.

When he nodded his head, I hurried back to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body to his. I softly placed my lips to his and tentatively deepened the kiss. I lightly swiped my tongue across his bottom lip, waiting for him to grant me entry to his mouth. I let out a shaky breath when I felt his hands wrap around my waist. I smiled into his mouth as I felt his lips part. His tongue met mine in the middle, and I was instantly lost in the taste of him. We broke apart, both breathing heavily as I laid my head on his chest, my arms still wrapped around his neck.

"Say you love me," he whispered into my ear. "The more you say it, the more you will feel it."

I looked up at his expecting gaze and swallowed hard. I would do anything he wanted.

"I love you," I said.

The words felt foreign as they came out, but his smile made it worth it.

"I love you, too," he said, kissing the top of my head.

No other words were spoken as our declarations hung in the air around us. It was quiet and peaceful, and I was enjoying just being held by Edward. He wasn't angry, and I wasn't in trouble…it was just us, enjoying one another's company. The sound of the ringing doorbell caused me to jump and I clung tightly to his shirt.

"It's okay; it's just my parents." He untangled me from his body and he took my hand as we went to the door.

I moved myself so that I was behind him, hiding myself from immediate view. Edward looked back at me and chuckled lightly while shaking his head and opening the door.

"Hey," Edward said happily. "Come on in."

I kept my eyes on the ground as I heard some shuffling around ahead of me; I didn't want to disrespect his parents by staring at them.

"Edward, how have you been?" a woman asked; I assumed it was his mother.

Edward let go of my hand to hug her, and as soon as he was done, I attached myself to him again.

"You look well," his father's deep voice said.

"Thank you; you, too," he said trying to peel me off his arm.

My heart was racing. I didn't want to mess up. I wanted that walk. I wanted Edward to be proud of me. I wanted his parents to like me. Suddenly, his parent's approval seemed like one of the most important things I could have.

"She seems to have come a long way in a month," his father commented. "Did you do everything I said?"

"I did. All the information you gave me was very helpful," Edward said as he pulled me off his arm. "This is Bella. Bella, these are my parents, Carlisle and Esme."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, keeping my eyes trained on the floor.

"She's very shy. You are the first people she's met since we've been together," Edward explained to his parents.

"They all are at this stage. Your mother wouldn't speak to anyone for a long while," Carlisle said. "Esme, go make the plates."

"Would you like me to help?" I asked, only looking at Edward.

"Yes," Edward said, giving me a small kiss as he maneuvered my body so that I was facing the right direction.

I rushed away from his side and went through to the dining room to get to the kitchen, where I was assuming Esme was.

This is your chance, Bella; tell his mother that he kidnapped you, my inner voice demanded. I really wished the voice would go way; it did nothing but get me put in the closet.

As I entered the kitchen, I saw a woman standing at the sink with her back to me. She had caramel colored hair that was just past her shoulders and she was petite, yet not grossly so. I walked over to her quietly and stood at her side.

"How may I help?" I asked, shaking off the nagging voice.

"Oh, how sweet of you," she said, smiling brightly at me. "Scoop a little from each container on to Edward's plate."

I noticed that her eyes were green just like Edward's, and that alone eased my tension allowing me to feel close to her already. I smiled back and watched her for a moment as she carefully made her husband's plate. I started to do exactly what she did, not wanting to mess up.

"So, have you and Edward talked about getting married?" she asked gently, throwing me another smile.

I blushed and looked back down at the plate to see what I was doing. "Yes, we have talked about it, but I don't know any details."

"Oh good. I can't wait to have another girl around," she said sweetly. "How did the two of you meet?"

"While he was at his convention," I said automatically.

"Oh! Was it love at first sight?"

I opened my mouth, not really sure how to answer her. Luckily, Edward cut in just then, causing me to jump once more. I really needed to get that under control.

"It was," Edward said proudly, gesturing for me to come to him.

"You scared me," I breathed.

"She's a little jumpy," Carlisle said, following his son into the dining room.

I quickly glanced at his father's face and saw disapproval all over it. I knew I had messed up.

"She's working on it," Edward said as he ran his hand down my back to my thigh and then pinching me.

I knew that was my one and only warning.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly.

As we all gathered around the table, Edward sat at his usual seat and gestured for me to sit beside him. I did so, folding my hands into my lap. Carlisle sat in front of Edward as Esme set his plate before him, and then she took the seat directly across from me, sending me a small smile. I smiled back, relieved that my jumpiness was dismissed so easily. After a few minutes of everyone eating, I felt a hand on my bare thigh.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked.

"Yes…may I have some?" I asked quietly as he smiled.

"You may," he said handing me a fork.

My eyes grew wide as did my smile. He was going to let me feed myself. I knew this was a test and I was determined not to fail. I slowly started to eat as Edward and Carlisle started their own conversation. Esme looked blissful as she ate, and I noticed that she was sitting with her body turned towards her husband.

"You are going back to work on Monday, correct?" Carlisle asked, bringing my attention to them.

"Yes. Would it be alright if Mom sat with Bella during the days that I work?" Edward asked.

"That is very smart of you. Yes, she can be here every day. What does her schedule entail?"

"Right now, I am just getting her used to the housewife role. We try to do the same thing every day," Edward said.

"You try?" Carlisle asked condescendingly.

"She's had punishments and lectures that have interrupted our day, but each day gets better."

"That's not acceptable," Carlisle said, raising his voice.

I flinched at his tone and Edward gently rubbed my leg.

"Do you have any suggestions that would help?" Edward asked, as if the matter was no more important than the daily weather.

"Longer bouts of time in her special place will help immensely. Ignore her; have you done that at all?" Carlisle asked as if he knew that answer.

"That's hard," Edward admitted.

"It will help. Less sleep will correct any problem quickly," he said as I glanced at Esme.

She was nodding in agreement with her husband, and I couldn't help but find that odd.

"You know you can call and ask me anything any time," Carlisle offered, taking a sip of his drink.

"I know; I will. I thought I was doing well," Edward said, sounding disappointed in himself.

"You are, but you could do better," Carlisle said with a pointed look. "When does Reverend Webber need to be here?"

"Next weekend. She's ready. I'm going to be obtaining the license this week."

"You need to take her with you; you do understand that, right?" Carlisle questioned.

"Yes," Edward said with a nod of his head.

"I really hope this doesn't bite you in the ass. What are you going to do if she tries something?" Carlisle asked, looking directly at me.

I cringed away from his penetrating stare and moved closer to Edward.

"She won't," Edward said confidently.

"Okay then, I will set it up," Carlisle said with a smile.

I let out the breath I was holding as my body relaxed. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I knew that they were discussing me. It sounded as if Carlisle didn't trust me to not run away from Edward, but I found that I didn't really care to have his trust. I only cared that Edward knew I wasn't planning to run away. Edward was the one that I wanted to keep happy at all times. I really needed a drink, so I took my chance since the men seemed to be done talking.

"May I have a drink?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"You may," Edward said, handing me his drink.

I took a small sip, noting that his drink was low.

"Um…would you like me to refresh everyone's drink?" I asked.

I was so nervous, and I didn't know what he thought was acceptable or not.

"I could use a refill," Carlisle said, giving me a smile.

Edward gave me a nod, and I left the table to get the pitcher of tea. Once I was back at the table, I filled Edward's cup first before making my way to where Carlisle was sitting. I filled his glass and then started to fidget. I saw that Esme's glass was almost empty, but I didn't know if I should fill her cup or not. I didn't know why I thought such a thing, but it seemed appropriate.

"Would Esme like some more as well?" I asked as Carlisle held my eyes.

I couldn't look away, and I felt like I had done something wrong.

"You've done very well, Edward. I am impressed," Carlisle said, finally breaking our eye contact.

I quickly looked to Edward and saw that he had the widest smile I had ever seen on his face. He looked so happy.

"You may fill Esme's glass."

"Thank you, Carlisle," Esme said, placing her hand over his on the table.

Once the glass was filled, I quickly put the pitcher back in the kitchen and then sat back at Edward's side. The rest of the afternoon went pretty well. Edward laughed and smiled a lot, and continually whispered in my ear how good I was being. I knew that if I kept this up, then I would be getting my walk that he had promised me for sure. Edward continued touching and kissing me, and I knew he was proud. Every time he would touch me or smile at me, Esme would look on tearfully and would smile at me as well. It was like I had pleased her somehow…though I couldn't figure out how. After the final plans were set for the week to come, Carlisle and Esme left.

As soon as the door was shut, Edward firmly put me against the wall. I thought I was in trouble, but his smile said differently. He lowered his face to mine and pressed his soft lips to my own. I pressed back firmly, and the moan he let out gave me confidence that I didn't know I had. I tightened my hold on him as his hands held me. Our lips and tongues moved with each other, and I couldn't help but press myself even closer to him. Edward had his hands all over me, and it was in a different way than what I was used to, yet it felt so right. He was running his hands up and down my entire body, and I ended up with goose bumps across my skin. As we kissed, his hands wandered near my breasts and down my sides, until I felt his fingers slide under the skirt of my dress. I moaned as Edward grabbed a hold of my ass, pressing me into his hardness. He moaned as my body made contact with his, and I just knew that I was doing something right.

"I love you," he said, holding me tightly to him.

"I-I love you, too," I whispered, giggling when he nibbled on my bottom lip.

"I think I owe my little girl a treat," he said as I bounced with excitement. "Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"No," I said with the biggest smile. "I'm ready."

"Okay," he said with chuckle. "Are you going to be good?"

"Yes! I will hold your hand the whole time," I said happily.

Edward chuckled and held his hand out to me. As my hand met his, he locked his arm around mine before moving us to the front door. I was so excited at the prospect of getting to go outside, that I felt like squealing. As soon as we were on the porch, I took a deep breath, smiling at the smell of the crisp air. Edward leaned over and kissed my cheek, and when I laid my head on the side of his arm, he kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you, Edward," I said with a smile.

"Thank you for being such a good girl today. Keep up with your good behavior, and you can sleep with me with no cuff on tonight," he said, kissing me quickly.

We headed off the porch and down the driveway. I didn't ask where we were going, and he didn't offer up the information. Instead, I took in the scene before us and happily snuggled into Edward's side. I knew then that as long as I was good, and did as I was told, life would be good. The little voice in my head was finally gone.

* * *

See you all next week!


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you all for the reviews we love them! Thanks to my girls for all the help they give.

In this chapter you will get to see me Bella and Esme time, hope you like it.

We own nothing but the plot proudly!

* * *

"Bella…" The voice was back...no, it was an actual girl this time. "Bella," she said again. "You have to run. Edward will ruin you. He doesn't love you."

"Love…Edward," I said, sounding almost unsure. "I love Edward," I said again, more firmly this time.

"I love you so much," Edward said as I smiled at him.

"You don't love her! Love is not kidnapping! Love is not locking someone in the closet! Love is not making people forget who they are!" the other girl screamed.

"Shut your mouth!" Edward yelled as I flinched back from him.

"No! Fuck you, Edward Cullen!" she yelled. "You don't want her; you want a shell of her," the girl cried.

It broke my heart to see her cry. I wanted to go to her and make sure she was okay. I went to move toward her, but Edward stopped me by wrapping his arms around me like a vice.

"Always remember Bella," the girl begged. "Charlie Swan is your father; he is evil, but he is still your father. You grew up in Portland, Oregon. You are Bella Swan! Edward kidnapped you," the girl cried reaching out for me.

My eyes welled with tears as my hand went to her, and just as our fingers touched, Edward yelled.

"No! Don't listen to her!" he screamed as he carried me by the waist away from the girl. "This is what happens when you're bad."

I saw it coming.

"No!" I yelled. "No!"

No was the only word I could say as the door closed and bathed me in the darkness once more.

"Edward!" I yelled as I sat straight up, gasping for air.

My body had broken out in a cold sweat, and I fumbled with the comforter for a moment, trying to get to Edward's side of the bed.

"What!" he asked, panicked as he sat up in bed.

I saw his eyes wide in surprise, and I immediately jumped out of bed and stood beside him.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked again.

"I don't want to go in the closest. I just wanted to make sure the girl was okay. I didn't mean it," I rambled breathlessly.

Edward looked confused for a moment, which just caused me to wring my hands in nervousness. What in the hell just happened?

"Bella, it was just a dream," Edward said, moving over the bed toward me.

"I'm sorry…I'm so, so, so, sorry," I said as I cried into my hands.

"Come here, Baby," he said smoothly.

"No closet, right?" I asked as I made my way back to the bed.

"No, Baby; it was just a dream," he repeated, taking my hand and pulling me back into bed.

I exhaled shakily and lay back down next to him as he held me tight.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Did I? A part of me wanted to tell him everything - to ask what it all meant? But the other part of me could still remember the darkness of the closet…the panic I had as the door shut behind me. Would Edward be mad at me for a nightmare that I had no control over? And why was I dreaming about Charlie? Why would that girl want me to remember the one person who never loved me? All I could see now was Edward. All I needed remember was Edward. Sometimes it was like there was this black gap where my memories should have been. And what I could remember was so hazy that it was hard to tell if it was real or not.

"No…I don't even remember it now," I lied.

Something told me that if I told him my nightmare, it would end badly for me. It was just best to forget about it and hope that it never happened again. Charlie was nonexistent in my life I hated him. I was just going to tell myself that he was just someone that my mind made up.

"That happens," he said with a yawn. "I'm here and you're safe."

"I know," I whispered, closing my eyes.

I felt Edward's grasp on me loosen, and I knew that he was asleep once more. I willed my tears to remain at bay as I fought down the wave of guilt that was pressing on my chest. I shouldn't have lied to him, and I knew that somehow he was going to find out. Nothing ever got by Edward, and I had come to find out that it was always better to be up front with him rather than letting him find out from another source.

Tomorrow, I vowed. I would tell him tomorrow.

I felt like I had just fallen asleep when I felt myself being shaken awake.

"Bella, it's time to wake up," a woman's voice said.

I sat up quickly, almost pulling my arm out of socket. I gasped in pain and looked up to see that I was cuffed to the bed again. I quickly looked around and saw Esme standing beside me, smiling down at me.

"You scared me, I'm sorry," I said as she undid the cuff.

"It's quite alright," she said sympathetically. "Edward said you had a rough night."

I nodded my head and looked down, surprised when she sat beside me.

"Here, let me see your wrist," she said gently, holding out her hand.

Too shocked to say anything, I simply held out both of my wrists, unsure of the one she wanted to see. I watched as she brought out a tiny white bottle of lotion and squirted some in her palm. She then proceeded to rub the lotion into my skin around the wrist that had been cuffed to the bed.

"Edward told us about your ankle," she explained. "This will help from having your skin rubbed raw."

I continued to watch in fascination as she rubbed in the soothing balm, holding onto my wrist gently. Her fingers were long and slender, and her nails were manicured perfectly. Her touch was so different from Edward's, but it was a nice different. It felt like the kind of touch a mother would have for her child.

"There," she smiled. "That should help if he cuffs you again tonight."

Still in a bit of shock from my nightmare and then her kindness, I just nodded and offered her a small smile.

"Thank you," I whispered to her before standing up and grabbing my clothes from the foot of the bed.

"You're not to take a shower this morning," Esme called after me. "Edward said you would do that tonight instead."

I frowned at the thought of not showering this morning, my mind already feeling out of whack from this minor change to our daily schedule. Then again, I was kind of relieved. I liked Esme so far, but I didn't want to have to shower in front of her. Once I finished in the bathroom, I walked back to the bedroom to see Esme making the bed.

"You didn't have to do that, Esme," I whispered, looking down, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"Oh, it was no bother at all," she said happily, placing the last pillow back on the made bed. "I'm happy to help you where I can, but we do need to get a move on. I let you sleep as late as I could."

"Alright," I said slowly, leading the way out of the bedroom.

I wasn't sure what to think of my first day without Edward. Esme seemed to genuinely care about me the same way her son did, and it was new to me. But…I liked it. She reminded me of a mother figure, and I didn't realize until now just how much I wanted that. I couldn't remember having that before, and suddenly it seemed like something I wanted more than ever.

We walked in silence to the dining room, and took my seat as Esme asked. A minute later, she brought out breakfast: toast, some fresh fruit, and a cup of tea. I was happy to see that the cup wasn't full of coffee.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, waiting for her to take her seat before picking up a piece of fruit and popping it into my mouth.

We ate in silence for a few moments, and I occasionally looked up to see Esme smiling at me. I would blush and give her a timid smile in return, before looking back down at my own plate. The tension in the air was thick, and I knew that she wanted to talk, but I just didn't know what to say to her. My nightmare was still running through my mind, and my emotions were all over the place. I didn't trust myself to not burst into tears at any moment. It was like I didn't know what was real anymore.

"Would you like to talk about your dream?" Esme asked quietly.

I looked up at her sharply and saw nothing but compassion in her eyes.

"Sometimes it helps to talk through it," she offered kindly. "Then you can move past it and not let it affect you any longer."

I nodded but said nothing. It made sense, but how much could I trust her? I just knew that if it got back to Edward, he would shut me in the closet for a month. Everything about Charlie left a bad feeling in my gut, and some instinct was telling me that name was best forgotten. Even thinking the name sent a chill down my spine.

I stabbed at a piece of toast and chewed thoughtfully. Was she right? Would it help? Could she help me make sense of the nightmare?

"I think knowing about my nightmare would anger Edward," I admitted.

"Why would you think that?" she asked curiously.

"I-I don't know." I blew out a frustrated breath.

How could I explain it to her?

"I had a dream that this girl was talking to me," I said, looking at my hands. "She said Edward didn't love me. She said love wasn't kidnapping or locking someone in the closet or spanking them."

I took another deep breath and looked up to see Esme staring at me intently, her hands folded in front of her.

"But Edward has said that he does those things because he loves me, and because he wants what's best for me," I continued, more confused than ever.

Esme waited for a moment, tapping her fingernails against the table. It wasn't in agitation like I thought it would be, but more like she was thinking of the right words to say to me.

"Well first, do you believe that Edward kidnapped you?" she asked.

I opened my mouth only to close it again. Did I believe that? I couldn't remember much about how we met, only that we met when he had a convention for his job, and then he brought me back here with him. I remember Oregon, but Edward always said those details weren't important. All that mattered was that we were together and I knew he was right.

"No," I finally whispered. "Edward didn't kidnap me."

"Then that's the first thing to tell you that your dream was just a nightmare," she said gently, reaching across the table and holding my hand. "Secondly, if you are punished, it's not because Edward doesn't love you. It's because he loves you that he disciplines you. If he didn't love you, he wouldn't bother."

"But I don't like being put in the closet," I whispered, fighting back my tears.

"Then behave, silly," she laughed. "I don't like my special place either. But tell me this. When you are let out of the closet and you are back in Edward's arms, how do you feel?"

"Relieved," I answered immediately. "I know that my punishment is over and I have a new start with him when I come out. I want to be good," I said sincerely. "There's just a part of me that tries to fight him every step of the way."

Esme nodded in understanding, squeezing my hand gently in hers. "You need to push back that part of you," she advised. "Don't let that get you into trouble or make you miserable. You can have a good life here with my son, but you have to want it."

I nodded, my eyebrows furrowed. I knew she was right, and lately that little voice was practically nonexistent. If I wanted a normal life with Edward, then I needed to be good. I needed to prove to him that I was trustworthy. I needed to truly earn his love. He gave me his love so freely and without strings, and I wanted to prove to him that I was worthy of it.

"You have a special place?" I asked, shocked as what she said finally registered with me.

"Oh yes," Esme nodded. "But I haven't had to be put in there in a very long time. All you have to do is do as you're told, and you won't be put in there. Edward only wants what's best for you. Remember that."

Esme stood and cleared up the dishes from the table. I moved to help her, only for her to place her hand on my arm. "You sit. We'll talk more when I have the dishes done."

My throat clogged with emotions that I couldn't name as I nodded at her, whispering my thanks. This nightmare was weighing more heavily on my mind than it should have been, yet I couldn't seem to shake it. I was brought out of my musings as Esme sat back down at the table.

"What else happened in your dream?" she asked knowingly.

I cleared my throat and looked down at my hands. "She, the girl, said that my name was Bella Swan and that Charlie Swan was my father…"

I paused there and couldn't seem to get the rest of the dream out.

"Charlie Swan was an awful man," Esme said softly, taking my hand back in hers.

"I know. I hate him and that's what confuses me. Why would I dream about him?" I explained.

Esme pursed her lips and looked deep in thought. I liked how she didn't just say what she felt I wanted to hear, but actually took the time to get her thoughts together and gave me one hundred percent of her attention.

"Let me ask you something," she said after a few minutes. "Did you say anything in this dream?"

I nodded and squeezed her hand on instinct. "I said that I loved Edward."

"I think that's your answer, then," she said gently. "Charlie Swan never loved you. Edward is what love is. Only he knows what is best for you. Edward and you kids will be the only people you will ever need to worry about. Your name is Bella Cullen now. Bella Swan just sounds weird to me, doesn't it? Bella Cullen has such a better ring to it. I think you are putting so much focus into this dream that you are forgetting to see your reality. Edward loves you, just as you have said in person and in your subconscious. The two of you are completely normal; Carlisle and I are the same way. Spankings are a part of relationships that can even be avoided if you behave," she winked.

"So you think it was just a weird dream?" I asked, looking at her with tears in my eyes.

"Oh, Honey," she said, moving around the table and wrapping me in her arms.

I clung to her shirt and pressed my face to her neck, inhaling her perfume. Oddly enough, it was her smell that calmed my fears and relaxed my muscles.

"It was just a nightmare. Edward loves you and you love him. That's all that matters," she said, patting my hair down.

"How did you and Edward meet?" she asked as suddenly as Edward usually did.

The only difference was that when Edward asked, he had a bite to his tone. Esme, on the other hand, asked like she was genuinely curious.

"I told you yesterday," I reminded her, sniffling. "We met at his Convention."

"I just love a good love story," Esme sighed. "But it's just so much more when it is your own son. What did he say to you when you met? Did he sweep you off of your feet?"

"You don't remember begging me not to leave you?" Edward asked, appalled.

"N-no," I stuttered, shocked.

Edward chuckled and brought me closer to his side. "You were so upset when I told you that I needed to come back to Washington. You never even gave me the chance to explain that you were coming with me. That was one fit I hope to never see you throw again," he chided playfully.

"Oh," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed over throwing a temper tantrum like a child. "I'm sorry. So you had already planned on bringing me back with you anyway?" I asked.

Edward nodded and smiled at an elderly couple that we were passing on the sidewalk. "I came to your house to collect you and the last of the paperwork from your sperm donor."

I blinked at him in surprise that he was even mentioning someone from my past. My past was taboo. Forbidden. We didn't speak of it.

Edward looked down at my shocked face and placed a small kiss on the corner of my mouth. "He transferred legal guardianship of you over to me," he explained, his eyes tight. "He didn't want you anymore, and I refused to see you go into the State system. You packed your things and we left immediately after that."

"I don't remember," I admitted sadly.

"You don't need to. All that matters is that I saved you from a horrible situation. You are with me now, and we never have to be a part again."

"I remember that we had a nice time on the drive back," I offered.

Edward chuckled again as we turned the corner to the next street. It was odd to be bundled up in a jacket in June, but with all of the rain and wind, it left the air a bit chilly.

"We did," he agreed, kissing the top of my head. "And now you will finally get what you have been begging me for since we left. We'll be getting married before you go back to school."

I smiled up at him, relieved with his words. One more month until I belonged to him completely.

"I can't wait," I whispered.

"That's one way to put it," I murmured as Esme smiled.

Esme gave me one last lingering hug before pulling away and wiping at her eyes. "Okay, we need to get started on our day. You still have some reading and cleaning to do before Edward comes home."

I stood up and placed my hand on her arm, pausing her. "Thank you, Esme," I said. "My head and heart were conflicted and I felt out of sorts, but you helped me, and now I feel completely renewed. Thank you for taking the time for me."

"Oh, you sweet girl," Esme cried. "Of course. You are my daughter, my family. Please come to me anytime you need to talk."

I nodded with a promise that I would as we moved from the dining room to Edward's study.

"Here's your book," she said, picking it up from the desk and placing it in my hands. "Just three chapters today."

"Okay."

As I settled into my normal seat on the couch, I looked back to see Esme going through the bookshelf on the wall, picking out a book for herself.

"Why does he make me call myself Bella Cullen?" I asked suddenly.

"Because that's your name," she replied immediately, throwing me a smile over her shoulder.

I giggled quietly and nodded. Easy enough.

The rest of the morning seemed to fly by as we both settled into a comfortable silence and read from our books. When my three chapters were done and had I made a few notes in my notebook to help me for the essay, I set the book aside and waited until Esme finished with what she was doing.

"Are you ready to finish our day?" she asked pleasantly.

"Yes, Ma'am," I replied, standing up and stretching.

We made small talk as she guided me to the living room with instructions to do the normal, day to day chores that were expected of me. I noticed that I wasn't as tense cleaning as I was when Edward was here staring over my shoulder. Instead, Esme helped out with the dusting and helped move furniture for me to make it a little easier. Once I ran the vacuum throughout the room twice, we moved on to the kitchen for lunch.

Esme talked to me about her life with Carlisle and she spoke with nothing but love in her voice. I hoped one day I could speak of Edward like that. I told her how we went for a walk the night before and she awed and said her son was such a romantic. I couldn't help the smile I was sporting. The more we talked about Edward the more I wanted him. I wanted him home…I missed him. I even missed his touch.

When lunch was over we moved on upstairs to clean before setting things out for dinner. Esme showed me a few recipes that Edward liked and I knew that I was going to be trying them out soon for him. When dinner was in the oven we were finally able to take a break and sat on the couch, drinking tea and talking.

"Do you have any friends? What do you do for fun?" I asked.

"Bella, you don't need friends when you have a husband. I love to cook, bake, clean, and read. That's about as fun as I get, and once you become a mother your ideas of fun changes. But now that Edward is out of the house and on his own, Carlisle and I always take a trip once a year," she said smiling.

"Edward said if I was really good we could go to the beach," I replied with a wide grin of my own.

"Oh! He will probably take you to the beach house. I love it there! Maybe I can ask Carlisle to take me as well," she said excitedly.

The idea of Esme coming to the beach with us made me even more excited.

"I've never been to the beach before."

"Oh, you'll love it! We used to take Edward there every summer. He loves the water," she said, smiling at something only she could see. "He has the most contagious laugh ever. I just love his laugh, but he doesn't laugh much anymore."

"He does," I said, more to myself than anything. "It's not often, but when he does, I can't keep the smile off my face. I do understand what you mean."

"I loved watching the two of you together yesterday. The sparkle in his eyes was an amazing sight. I haven't seen it since he was a boy," she said, lost in her memories. "He loves you so much."

"I know," I whispered, looking down at my tea.

"Are you just saying that because you think that's what I want to hear?"

"No," I said quickly. "After today…I think I really believe it."

All this talk of Edward was making me miss him. This was the longest we had ever been apart since…well, since I could remember. I could remember the way his hands felt on me. The way his smile lit up his face when I did something that made him proud. The way he held me close after I came out of the closet with whispered promises to always be with me.

"Good, because Edward is an amazing man," Esme said, bringing my attention back to her. "I just know he is going to an excellent husband and father. You will be so happy with him, I have no doubt. Give him your full trust, and he will never do you wrong. Just remember to be good; that's the key."

"He will be amazing," I agreed with a smile.

Spending the day with Esme was very eye-opening. I was feeling better about being with Edward, and from the praises I was getting from Esme all day, it made me think that I was on the right track. With her helping me complete my chores, we had extra down time, which I thought would be great. After an hour of conversing with her on the couch, though, I was going a little crazy waiting for Edward to get home. I missed him so much. I wanted to tell him how I was feeling, and I knew now that I could tell him I loved him and mean it. I just knew that was going to make him happy. After cleaning our coffee mugs, I waited by the window for him to come home. Esme told me several times to sit and relax, but I knew there was no way I could do that. As soon as I saw him pull in to the driveway, I felt like jumping up and down. I watched him get out of the car and head for the front door. Just as I rounded the corner, I heard the lock clicking.

As soon as the door was opened, I threw myself into his arms.

"I missed you," I said into his neck.

I hugged him tightly and relaxed as I felt his arms come around me.

"I missed you too, Baby. Say it," he said, kissing my ear lobe.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward. I'm so glad you're home," I said as I clung to him. He hugged me tightly to his body and hummed in content.

"It's so good to be home," he said, kissing my lips.

I smiled into his kiss, knowing how amazing it felt to be in his arms. He held me for a few minutes before letting go of me.

"Mom, you can go to my office and I'll be there in just a few minutes," he said as he took my hand.

I barely registered Esme leaving the room as he requested, leaving me alone with him for the first time today. He walked us to our room where he shut the door firmly behind us before pushing me into it roughly. I cried out in surprise, but my sounds were lost in his mouth as kissed me. His hands were all over me as his tongue invaded my mouth.

"I really hope you were good today. I would hate to have to spend the evening alone," he whispered huskily.

He didn't have to say any more. I knew what he was implying.

"Get on your side of the bed."

I did as I was told, smiling at him as he nodded in approval at my obedience. My smile immediately fell and my eyes narrowed as he brought out the cuff and attached it around my wrist so that I was cuffed to the bed.

"I'll be back."

With that, he gave me one last lingering kiss before exiting the room, leaving me completely alone for the first time today. I huffed and made myself comfortable on the bed, hoping that Edward wouldn't take too long. I needed to be able to hear the timer for dinner, otherwise it would burn.

After some time had passed, I could finally make out Edward's steps on the stairs. I sat upright and grinned, wanting to tell him about the day I had with his mother. As soon as the door opened though, my smile fell, and I watched helplessly as he stalked towards me, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Edward?" I whispered, scared.

"Let me ask you something, Bella Cullen," he snapped. "What did I tell you about talking about your past?"

"Um..." I whispered, the blood draining from my face. I knew what he wanted me to say, but I couldn't speak.

"Um...," he said icily, pacing the foot of the bed. "I think you neglected to tell me about your yesterday."

"I was going to tell you," I whispered. "I just didn't know how. But I swear I don't know why I had such a dream!"

I rushed through my explanation, hoping against hope that it would somehow appease Edward and he wouldn't force me into the closet.

"I should lock you in the closet for not being upfront with me in the first place," Edward hissed as I immediately began to cry. "You need to forget about your past. I am your past, your present, and your future. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Edward," I sobbed.

"Because of your direct disobedience, I've taken the next three days off of work, and my father and mother are staying here with us during that time. It seems I have been too lenient with you."

I shook and cried harder, fearful of what these next three days would entail, but more upset with myself for letting him down.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Isabella," he whispered.

I closed my eyes as the tears continued to fall. I felt a burning sensation in my chest and knew that it was my guilt eating at me for disappointing him.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, not opening my eyes.

I couldn't bear to see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Don't go to sleep," he ordered. "I'll be right back."

I lay back against the headboard, keeping my eyes closed as I heard the bedroom door shut behind him. Sobs overtook my body, and I cried until I had nothing left to shed. I had disappointed him. I had omitted information from him, which was just as bad as lying. I let my own fear of the closet overrule my judgment. I blinked heavily against the sleep that was trying to overcome me. The room had gradually gotten darker, and soon, I wouldn't be able to see anything. There was no light left on.

I had such high hopes for how this afternoon would go, and I couldn't believe that I had messed it up so badly. I kicked my feet at the covers angrily. I had missed Edward all day, and because of my inability to be honest with him, I was now missing out on time with him: time that I had been looking forward to all day. A new round of sobs broke free as I remembered the dinner I had planned for us. I didn't hear any smoke detectors or smell burning food, so I assumed he had taken it out of the oven for me. That thought only made me cry harder.

When I was reduced to hiccups, I heard the lock turning. I hastily tried to wipe my eyes, but I knew it would be no use. I'm sure my eyes were red and swollen - a dead giveaway that I had been crying.

"Why are you crying?" Edward asked as he stepped into the room, flicking on the light.

I squinted against the sudden brightness and swallowed back my tears.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm just upset."

"Why?"

"Because I disappointed you," I said as new tears fell down my cheeks.

"You did," he agreed. "So what should your punishment be?"

I opened my mouth but no sound came out.

"Punishment?" I asked, clearing my throat as it cracked.

Edward nodded. "What do you think your punishment should be for lying?"

"I don't want the closet," I whispered, blinking against the tears that threatened to fall.

"And if I were to not put you in the closet, what other punishment should be given?" he asked.

"A spanking?" I asked, unsure.

"You would take a spanking over the closet?"

I nodded once more and looked at him pleadingly.

"Ask me for the spanking," he ordered. "Otherwise, it'll be the closet for the next three days."

I stared at him for a moment as my brain tried to digest this new turn of event.

"May I have the spankings instead?" I whispered.

Edward shook his head and I felt my heart begin to beat erratically against my rib cage.

"Ask for me to spank you for your punishment. Tell me what you did wrong, and then ask for the spanking."

"I lied to you, Edward," I began. "May I have a spanking as my punishment?"

"Again."

"I lied to you, Edward. May I have a spanking as my punishment?" I repeated.

I watched as he walked over to me and brought out the key to the cuff. I kept perfectly still as he unlocked it, but once free, immediately tried to hug him, only for him to brush me off.

"Let's get your punishment over with so we can have dinner," he said sharply.

I waited patiently as he sat at the edge of the bed before motioning me over to him.

"You know what to do. Bend over my lap and ask for me to give you your punishment."

Without being told, I unbuttoned my pants, all the while keeping my eyes trained on his to make sure I was pleasing him. With only a slight quirk of his lips to guide me, I continued until I had pushed my pants and panties down to expose my bottom to him, before walking the few steps toward him and carefully placing myself over his lap.

Without warning, his palm connected with my bare skin and I let out a scream of surprise and pain. I lost count of how many spankings he delivered after the tenth. New tears coursed down my face, and my hands gripped his jeans tightly. Finally, it seemed the raining blows were slowing down until all that was left was his hand rubbing my burning bottom.

"Have you learned your lesson?" he asked.

"Y-Yes, Edward," I hiccupped.

"Who is your past, present and future?" he asked.

"You are."

"Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward. Only you are my past, present and future."

"Very good."

I adjusted as he stood me back on my feet, reaching around me to pull up my panties and pants.

"I hope for your sake that you remember that. Let's go eat dinner."

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

Dinner was an awkward affair. Carlisle and Esme were already seated when we came down, and while Esme offered me a small smile, Carlisle openly glared at me like I had offended him somehow. I managed to hold off more tears when I noticed only one plate and one fork in front of Edward, and nothing in front of myself.

"May I have some, Edward?" I asked quietly, not wanting to break the stillness in the air.

Without saying a word, Edward scooped up some meatloaf on his fork and held it out to me. I leaned over slightly and took the bite in my mouth, my hands staying in my lap. When he held out his drink, I automatically reached for it, only to stop short when Edward cocked his eyebrow in my direction. Instead, I leaned forward again and drank as he lifted the cup for me. He pulled it away before I was finished, but I knew better than to say anything. If I was lucky, I would get more later.

Throughout the rest of the dinner, I ate what was given to me without a word. Carlisle and Edward talked occasionally, but not of anything I really understood. When everyone was finished, I stood to begin clearing the dishes, only to be stopped short as Edward gestured for me to sit back down.

"You won't be cleaning tonight," he said, shooting a look to his father. "I have something different in mind for you."

I gulped nervously and glanced to Esme automatically, looking for just a bit of comfort.

"Yes, Edward," I whispered.

Once the dishes were cleared and Esme was busy in the kitchen, Carlisle bid us goodnight.

"I'll relieve you in a few hours, son," he said vaguely before making his way to the spare bedroom.

I looked back at Edward as he picked me up like a baby and led us in the opposite direction of our bedroom. We headed for the downstairs bathroom instead.

"Here," Edward said, carrying me into the bathroom.

Once inside, he placed me on my feet. Thinking that we were going to take our showers here, I moved backwards so Edward could squeeze in behind me and turn on the water. This bathroom was much smaller than the one in our bedroom. It just barely fit the two of us comfortably. I looked on in surprise as Edward maneuvered himself down to the ground so that his back was against the cupboards of the sink, his legs spread wide.

"Sit in front of me," he demanded.

Intrigued with what he had planned, I stepped over his legs and sat down with my back against the tub, moving my legs so that they were over his.

"Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said immediately.

"Tell me where we met."

"We met at your convention. You came and got me from my home, bringing me back here with you because my father hated me. You have legal guardianship over me," I said, repeating back what he had told me before.

"All you need to know now is that you are mine," he said, landing a hard slap to the outside of my thigh. "I am your past, present, and future. We are engaged to be married and we will become man and wife in less than three months. Unless, of course you don't want that?" he asked.

Not get married? After we've talked about it for a while now? The idea made my heart stop.

"Of course I want to marry you!" I said, appalled. "You are all I know. You are all I have!"

"Then I suggest you get rid of those thoughts of a life before me," he hissed. "I am all you know."

I nodded and sank back against the tub once more. He was all I knew. I had no life before him.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

I closed my eyes for a second, only to have them snap open right away. I jolted up and realized that I had somehow managed to fall asleep for that split second when Edward stopped talking.

"You had better be listening," Edward threatened, pinching my leg.

"I am," I said immediately and sleepily, covering my mouth with my hand as I yawned loudly.

"Who are your friends?" he asked.

"I don't have any friends," I mumbled, trying to keep my eyes on his. "You are all I need."

My eyes had closed again of their own accord. With another sharp pinch to my leg, I opened them once more to see Edward running a hand over his face tiredly.

"Can we go to bed now?" I asked. "We've been at this for hours."

It had to be going on one or two in the morning at least, and Edward hadn't let me sleep at all. I was exhausted - mentally and physically.

A sharp knock on the door woke me up though. What in the world?

Edward stood and smiled at me. "I'm going to bed," he said, pointing to himself. "You, on the other hand, will be busy."

* * *

See you next week!


	11. Esme's pov outtake

Surprise! I told the girls on FB that I had a surprise for everyone today and here it is. I know Esme isn't everyone's favorite person right now so I thought this little outtake would help.

* * *

Esme POV

"With the way she reacted when I walked through that door, I can only assume you had a good day," my son said as he walked into his office. He looked so happy, and I couldn't hide the smile on my face.

"It makes my day to see you so happy," I said as my smile grew even bigger.

"She makes me happy. Anyway, how was your day?"

"She didn't know what to do without out you. She almost seemed distracted, waiting for you to get home..."

"Did you keep her in line?" he asked, sounding upset.

"She knew what she had to do. She has a great handle on the household chores, already. It's just different when you're on your own for the first time. I didn't have anyone, so I'm happy to be here for Bella. I think it will help," I said with a smile.

"Anything else?"

"She opened up to me. I don't think she trusted me right away..."

"Well that pisses me off," he said as I shook my head.

"It's perfectly normal. Don't be upset by it," I said as he rolled his eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was get Bella in trouble.

"At least tell me she talked about the awful nightmare."

"She did. It was about her past - nothing that isn't going to happen again and again," I said with the wave of my hand. "They will stop, eventually; they always do."

"Her past, huh?" he questioned as he started to slam stuff around.

"Yes. It was silly, really," I told him. "She said there was a girl telling her that you didn't love her, and that you kidnapped her, but..."

"I can't fucking believe that!" he yelled as the blood drained from my face. I knew I had said too much, and I knew what was coming...

I held off the tears as I headed for the kitchen. Burning dinner was one of the biggest rule breakers. I had learned that lesson the hard way years ago. While I was working on dinner, I overheard Edward on the phone, and I knew that it was his father he was speaking to. Edward was mad, and I didn't know how to make it better. I thought he was overreacting, but it wasn't my place to say anything. Instead, I kept myself busy with my duties in the kitchen while my nerves ran high.

A while later, I heard Carlisle come in the house and tell Edward that he needed to punish Bella and reclaim his dominance. My heart broke for her, knowing that I had caused everything by telling Edward about her dream. I thought I had done a good thing; I thought he wanted to know. Never once had I thought he would use it against her.

"Esme," Carlisle said from behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Hi; how was your day?" I asked, automatically going to him.

"You haven't flinched in years. Are you picking up bad habits by being here?" he asked, holding my chin in his hand.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie. I was just lost in my thoughts and you startled me. I feel bad," I said as my eyes turned down to the floor even though he kept my chin in his firm grip. I knew he was mad, but like always, I didn't really understand why.

"Finish dinner. When Bella comes down to eat, you will not look at or speak to her. You haven't had a punishment in a long while, but I will not hesitate to give you one if you are disobedient. Do you understand?"

"I understand," I said as he released my chin. "Would you like a drink or anything right now?"

"No; just finish diner and don't disappoint me today. That's the last thing I need right now," he said, shaking his head.

I cleared my throat as I continued to work around the kitchen. I knew I had to do as I was told, or things would only get worse. I had already thrown fuel on the fire, and I wasn't about to add more. Edward and Carlisle needed to focus on Bella, and I needed to be here to take care of whatever they needed. I put our dinner onto plates, and then set the table. Carlisle and I were sitting down when Edward and Bella walked in.

My husband was glaring daggers at her, and it made me feel even worse than I already did. Bella hadn't done anything wrong, and they both knew it. Another part of me, though, understood that what they were doing was necessary. I chanced a glance at Bella, offering her small, tentative smile, and hoping she wouldn't be angry with me. I doubted that she would even remember why she had gotten in to trouble in the first place.

Once the men were finished with dinner, I moved to clear the table. I could see how upset Bella was when I started to clean, but I wasn't about to disappoint Carlisle. No woman wanted another woman taking care of their house. Once Edward and Bella were out of sight, the truth sank in for me. I knew she was in for a long couple of days, but she was strong. I was hopeful that I could have a little while alone with her so I could make sure she was okay.

"Time for bed," Carlisle said, just as I finished cleaning up from dinner. "I have to be up in a few hours."

Once we were in the spare room, I quickly did my best to keep up with my nightly routine. I laid out Carlisle's clothes, turned down the blankets, and then fluffed up his pillow. Once I was done, I quickly got myself ready, and before I lay down for the night, I made sure he didn't want or need anything.

When I finally climbed into bed, I laid on my side, facing away from him because he didn't like it very much when I breathed on him. He wrapped his arm around me, and I sighed, knowing that he just wanted to go to sleep. I loved making love to my husband, but after the day we'd had, I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on him, and that was something I definitely didn't want.

"I love you, Esme. Edward and I are going to need your help for the next couple of days, so please don't ruin it."

"I understand, Dear; I love you, too."

It was going to be a long few days...

* * *

See, Esme not one of the bad guys...hope you enjoyed it! I know it wasn't long, but I didn't want to give too much away. See you Monday!


	12. Chapter 12

Edward opened the door to reveal Carlisle - who looked very much awake - holding a cup of what I could only assume was coffee.

"How's it going?" he asked, taking a sip.

"It's a start," Edward grumbled. "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you at breakfast."

I watched helplessly as Edward left the bathroom, leaving me on the floor with his father towering over me.

"I-I don't understand," I whimpered.

I tried to get up off the floor, only to make it half way before falling back down again, my legs screaming in protest. I cried out in pain as Carlisle moved into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"Your muscles have tensed up from staying in one place for so long," he explained. "You won't be able to move without help for now."

I watched in a mixture of shock and horror as he took Edward's spot, moving my legs so that they were over his.

Feeling my exhaustion more than ever, tears pricked at the corner of my eyes. "Please, let me go with Edward," I begged. "Don't keep me in here."

Carlisle shrugged, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's not my choice to make. You're in here until your future husband deems otherwise."

Unable to take this new turn of events, I brought my head forward and sobbed.

"I know my son," Carlisle said, causing me to look back up at him. "And I know that he would never take on someone so weak. Maybe you aren't the right girl for him."

I stared at him in shock, trying to find the words to say. The thought of Edward being with another woman both infuriated me and made me feel sick to my stomach. He promised that I was the only girl for him. Was that a lie? I wiped my tears hastily but couldn't help the ones that fell in their place. It was just too much at once.

Carlisle said nothing else as we sat in the silence. He sipped from his cup, making the occasional remark about the passing of time while I sat and cried.

"Keep crying, Bella, and you will never get out of here. I have all the time in the world," he said, glaring at me.

Two hours, according to him, had passed before he made any movement by leaning forward.

"I can only hope that my son will take you back sooner rather than later. You obviously don't deserve him. Edward needs someone to be strong for him; someone who will make a good wife and mother. Not someone who wallows in self-pity," he said softly, but sounding so harsh at the same time. "Babies cry, not their mothers. You are no good for this life. You don't deserve it."

"I am good for him!" I hissed angrily. "I'm just tired. I need some sleep."

"You make excuses," Carlisle retorted. "You question his judgment. You don't trust him."

I shook as I tried to think of something to say, some way to deny the accusations that he threw at me, but I had nothing. He was absolutely correct. I didn't deserve a man like Edward. He was someone that deserved the best, and I wasn't that. Not yet anyway. But I could be. No. I would be. I just needed help getting there.

"I can do better," I whispered. "I can be the woman he needs and deserves. I just need help. Will you help me be better for him?" I asked, looking up at Carlisle pleadingly.

"You feel like you deserve my son?" he asked.

"Not yet, but I will," I vowed. "I can't picture my life without him."

"Say it."

"Edward is all I have. Edward is all I need. He is my life," I replied without missing a beat.

Carlisle actually smiled at my words and leaned back again. "There might be hope for you yet."

For the first time since being around my future father-in-law, I felt at peace. My body stopped shaking and the fear left my heart, but nothing could stop my eyes from closing, my body demanding the rest it had been denied.

"Tell me how you will make a good wife for my son," Carlisle demanded, pinching the outside of my thigh.

I blinked heavily and cleared my throat, prepared to speak. It didn't look like I was going to be getting that sleep anytime soon.

After explaining the different ways I would be a good wife for Edward, Carlisle then insisted that I tell him how Edward and I met. Time became a blur, and I managed to nod off every so often right before Carlisle would pinch the outside of my thigh again. I was going to be sporting bruises, I just knew it. The sun began to creep into the room, and I was drenched in my sweat. This tiny bathroom was hot, and was right in line of the morning sun, making it even hotter. My face felt flushed and I felt like I was going to pass out at any moment, from either exhaustion or lack of air. I really needed to get out of the bathroom.

"May I have some water?" I croaked after telling him that Edward was my life for the hundredth time.

"No; it's almost time for breakfast."

I sighed in relief. Breakfast. That meant getting out of this bathroom that had suddenly become my new cage.

Sure enough, a couple of minutes later the door opened, and there stood Edward, freshly showered, shaved, and wearing a t-shirt and cargo shorts. He had never looked sexier to me.

"Edward!" I cried in relief.

I winced and cried out in pain as Carlisle moved my legs off of his, standing up and stretching his back.

"I'm going to need to go see my Chiropractor after these next few days," he grumbled, shooting a look at Edward.

"Tell him to bill me," Edward said with a smile. "It's the least I can do after everything you're doing for me."

Carlisle clapped Edward on the shoulder and nodded back in my direction. "I just want to see you happy. I'm proud to call you my son." Edward wore the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face.

With that, Carlisle strode from the tiny room, leaving us alone. The air from outside hit me in the face, and it was all I could do not to crawl over to the open door. As it was, I couldn't even move. My legs had gone completely numb, and it felt like there were a million needles pricking me all over. It was beyond painful.

"Edward," I moaned, trying not to cry like a baby. "It hurts."

It took all my willpower not to give in to the tears. Edward needed a strong woman. Not someone who wallowed in self-pity.

"I know, Baby," he cooed, bending down to my level. "It's going to be very painful for you."

I looked up to see him gazing at me tenderly, but I felt like there was a double meaning behind his words.

"You can't walk, can you?" Edward asked as I tried to move. There was pain all the way up my back and I couldn't help the sob that escaped my lips. "Ask me to carry you," he demanded.

"Will you carry me?" I asked as I tried to stop crying.

"Why?" he questioned as I looked at him through blurry vision.

"I need you," I cried and begged. He was confusing me so badly, but I knew I said something right when he smiled.

"Only me?"

"Yes," I whispered as my arms wrapped around his neck. I hissed in pain as he scooped me into his arms.

Two things happened at that moment. My bladder made itself known, and I pushed away from Edward, making him stumble. I cried, begging him to set me down by the toilet.

"I can't hold it," I moaned. "I'm going to go all over you!"

Edward, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned for the toilet and set me down on my overly shaky legs, making my problem even worse. He quickly pulled my pants and panties down, opened the lid, and guided me onto the seat so that I could immediately relieve myself.

Too tired to be embarrassed, I tried to get what little sleep I could right where I was. When the flow stopped, though, Edward took some toilet paper and spread my legs. What was he doing? When his hand went between my thighs, I flinched back. His face snapped to mine and I could clearly see the anger in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly as he eyes burned into mine. "I can do that."

"You can do nothing," he said in a creepily calm voice. "Until you learn, you won't do anything."

My eyes filled with tears as he continued to clean me. I felt so humiliated. When he was done wiping me, he wrapped one of his arms around my chest. He then pulled me off the toilet, closing the lid as he sat down. His grip was tight on me because I was so weak. Maybe Carlisle was right.

"Do you think you deserve a spanking?" he asked as tears ran down my face. All I could do was nod. "Why?"

"I flinched and I know better than that," I said as he laid me across his lap. His swats were quick, but they stung worse than anything I had felt before.

"You need to behave. We are trying to help you, and all you have done is flinch and cry," Edward said as he maneuvered me off his lap.

I leaned against the wall, trying to get my emotions in check. He pulled my clothes back in place as he lifted me into his arms again.

"I'm sorry," I said with a hiccup. "I'm trying so hard."

"Not hard enough," Edward said in a disappointed tone.

I curled in to his chest as he moved us out of the bathroom, begging him softly to not leave me. I promised him that I would be the perfect wife for him.

"You sweet, sweet girl," he whispered into my hair. "You will make the perfect wife; you just need a little bit of guidance. We just want what's best for you."

With that, we headed for the dining room. I forced myself to stop crying; I didn't want Carlisle to see me falling apart. I knew that would just disappoint him. I was still sniffing when we entered the room. Edward placed me on his lap at the dining room table as Esme placed a plate of food in front of us. I couldn't care to look at the food. I just wanted a moment of sleep so I could feel better and show them that I could behave.

"Fall asleep and I'll put you in the closet," Edward threatened, causing my eyes to pop back open.

Conversation flowed around us, and when there was a slight break I asked Edward for a bite. He happily obliged me and took turns between feeding me and himself. When the plates were empty, I tried to stand once again, only to be pulled back down by Edward.

"Mom will do this. You and I have somewhere we need to be," Edward said, scooping me back up in his arms.

Too tired to argue, I simply held onto his neck and closed my eyes. Might as well get what little rest I could. I highly doubted that he was taking me back to bed. I tensed and wiggled against him in protest when I saw that Edward was leading us back into the tiny bathroom. I was beginning to see this place like I saw the closet: a cage.

"No," I begged, clinging to his shirt. "Can we go somewhere else? Please, I don't want to go in there."

"No," he replied shortly, shutting the door behind us. There was no stopping my tears.

The room was completely lit up from the sun, so there was no need to turn on the light. Instead, Edward resumed his previous seat and sat me down gently in mine. I winced as my legs protested, but I didn't make a sound.

"Say it," Edward demanded.

I sighed and wiped tears off my face before I began.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Open your eyes, Bella!" Edward snapped.

My eyes popped open once more, and I blinked against the drowsiness that was overcoming me. Four hours. Edward and I had been sitting for almost four hours, and he had not let up. I lost count of how many times I told him that he was all I needed, and I could hardly remember breakfast this morning. It seemed so long ago.

"Why do you trust me?" he asked again.

I moved my leg slightly, hissing out when it immediately began to cramp. Note to self: don't move a muscle.

"I trust you because you take care of me," I said sleepily. "You always have my best interests at heart. When I need a punishment, you deliver it swiftly and affectively, and you hold no grudge afterwards. I trust you because you love me." I was sure I was slurring my words.

Edward beamed at me proudly and I smiled in return. At first it was hard to put into words exactly why I trusted him, but over the last couple hours or so, it became increasingly easier.

A knock on the door interrupted our moment, and I looked up to see Carlisle popping his head in.

"Lunch is ready," he informed Edward.

"We'll be right there. Did mom complete her chores?" he asked, standing up with a wince.

I looked down as a wave of guilt rolled through my belly. He was in pain because of me: because I couldn't be good. He wouldn't have had to take time off of work for me if I could just behave and listen like I was supposed to. He wouldn't have to be sitting with me, uncomfortable for hours on end, if I would have just obeyed him in the first place. I felt more tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I swallowed against them. I refused to let them fall. I needed to be strong for him now, not show him how weak I was. I wanted Edward to know for a fact that I was the woman for him.

"She did," Carlisle stated. "And she knows what is expected of her this afternoon."

Edward nodded and I held out my arms as he reached down to lift me. I tried hard not to wince in pain, but I couldn't help it. I snuggled into his chest, thankful that I had him in my life.

"I need to use the restroom again," I murmured.

Without saying a word, Edward held on to me as I did my business, and he once again cleaned me up. I smiled when he kissed my forehead; it was the first kiss he had given me in what felt like days. He lifted me into his arms again before leading us back to the dining room. I noted that the only two places I had seen in a while had been the dining room and the downstairs bathroom.

Lunch was the same as breakfast. I asked for food and Edward fed us again, with me sitting on his lap. My legs felt like jelly, and yet they felt heavy at the same time. It was such an odd feeling that I didn't know when I would be able to walk without help again. I felt more oncoming tears and internally rolled my eyes at myself. This is ridiculous. I shouldn't be crying. I need to suck it up and do what is expected of me.

I noticed that in the time Esme and Carlisle had agreed to stay with us, I hadn't gotten any alone time with Esme. I didn't realize how much I cherished the time I got with her. I made a silent vow then to really be on my best behavior in hopes that we would have the chance to visit again soon.

When the plates were finished once again, Esme moved to clear them, only this time I remained seated, knowing that I probably would not be allowed to help anyway. I felt horribly guilty that Esme had been taking over my chores these last few hours, but I promised myself that I would make it up to her.

"You feel bad that Esme has to pick up your slack, don't you?" Carlisle questioned from his seat at the table. I nodded my head as I tried to keep my tears at bay. "Don't you dare cry," he snapped.

"I'm sorry," I said with a lump in my throat. "Yes, I feel terrible."

"You should be the one cleaning this house, yet you can't seem to understand the concept of being a wife," Edward said.

I swallowed several times, trying hard not to cry.

"Edward…I'm so sorry," I said as tears slid down my face. I was starting to hate crying.

"That is how you should feel. Do you want another woman in this house taking care of your husband and child?" Carlisle asked harshly.

"No, never," I whispered as I shook my head fervently. I was proud that I was able to stave off more tears.

"Get your act together or that is what's going to happen," Edward said as I nodded in understanding.

After a few minutes, Edward picked me up, and once again we were off to the bathroom. I started to shake in fear just from the sight of it. I couldn't be in there anymore. This time after he deposited me on the floor, he backed out of the room after placing a tender kiss to my forehead.

"Mom will be in here with you for the next little while," he explained as Esme came into the bathroom.

I smiled widely at Esme, not even noticing the door closing behind her.

Seeming to know just what I needed, Esme bent down and wrapped me in her arms. Feelings of warmth, peace, and security washed over me as sobs overtook my trembling body.

"Shhhh, Bella," Esme whispered, placing her palm on the back of my head to hold me to her. "It's okay. You're okay. We're all here for you. We're doing this for you because we love you. They will be mad at you if they hear you crying."

I don't know how long Esme allowed me to cry on her shoulder, but I could feel her maneuvering beneath me as she sat back against the counter, bringing me with her.

"I'm so tired," I whispered as my tears subsided.

I didn't even know how long I had been awake for or what day it was. I didn't know if two days had passed, or if I was still in the middle of the first.

"You've been up for over twenty-four hours," Esme murmured. "You should be tired."

"I just want to sleep. Please let me rest," I begged.

"I can't honey," she said soothingly. "It's up to Edward to decide when you can sleep again. You have to behave, and be disciplined to obey him. Do you understand?" she asked, lifting my chin so that we were at eye level.

I nodded as more tears squeezed out and onto her fingers. "I understand."

Once I had calmed down completely, Esme moved me back so that I was against the tub with my legs draped over hers. Sitting with Esme was vastly different than sitting with Carlisle, or even Edward, though.

"Edward takes after his father," Esme said. "He has this presence that just demands respect, which is why he is so good at his job. People have always kind of migrated to him and looked up to him. He knows what he wants and he goes after it. Carlisle and I might not be his biological parents, but he resembles us in all the ways that count."

By now, I was much more awake, realizing that she was telling me a part of Edward's past.

"He was adopted?" I asked, shocked.

I didn't know that about him, and a part of me was hurt that he didn't share the information with me himself.

Esme nodded thoughtfully. "We adopted him when he was five years old."

At this, she chuckled and tapped my leg with her fingers so my eyes wouldn't close. "He came from a bad situation - one that even he doesn't remember - but he was still everything we had hoped for. Of course, he was a little rough around the edges at that age…I mean, what kid wouldn't be? But all he needed was some tender loving care, and someone to show him what love was. He needed a mother."

She wiped away a wayward tear and smiled at me sadly. "When we first brought him home with us, Edward didn't even know what a bed was. He would sleep on the floor with no blankets or pillows, and getting the boy to bathe was like pulling teeth," she chuckled fondly. "But after a few months, things got better."

"What happened to him?" I asked, intrigued.

Esme shook her head sadly. "We don't talk of it, and Edward doesn't even remember his life before us. We are all he knows. The same way Edward is all you know."

I nodded my head and sat back. Hearing about Edward's situation made my heart hurt for him, and made my guilt intensify. He's gone through hell and back, and here I am making things harder on him.

"Say it, Bella," Esme demanded gently.

"Edward is all I have. Edward is all I need. Edward is my life," I replied immediately as Esme nodded in approval.

"What was he like as he adjusted living with you?" I asked.

"Edward was, and still is, very loyal. He kept to himself throughout school. He made his first friend in sixth grade, and is still best friends with Emmett today," Esme said, shaking her head. "He doesn't give out his trust easily, and has never even had a girlfriend that I know of. The fact that he brought you home with him, shows me that you are something special indeed, Miss Bella," Esme said, nudging my leg with hers and giving me a beaming smile.

I smiled back, but the feeling of guilt still weighed heavily on my heart.

"I'm not special," I muttered.

"Edward could never see himself very clearly either," Esme noted. "But he found his place, just like you will find yours."

I smiled up at her once more, pretty sure that I knew where my place was: with Edward...always.

We sat in silence for a few moments, and I noticed that my eyes were becoming heavy once more.

"Edward is the kind of man that likes to feel needed," Esme said suddenly. "I first noticed it one morning when Carlisle was at work. I was hanging curtains in the living room and couldn't handle the rod on my own. I was about to set them aside and just wait for Carlisle to come home, but Edward came up to my side without a word and helped me. When I said thank you, that was the first time I saw him truly smile."

I smiled at the happiness Esme's memories brought her.

"Edward was lucky to find you," I whispered, holding her hand in mine.

"No," Esme disagreed. "We were the lucky ones."

The rest of the time in the bathroom seemed to fly by with memories of Edward as a young boy. Esme was having a hard time adjusting to the bathroom floor, and every time she moved to make herself more comfortable, I winced and shot her an apology.

"It's no big deal, Bella," she said, brushing me off. "I'm happy to do it if it means helping you."

After a few more moments of silence, I looked up and took a shuddering breath.

"I don't remember my mother," I admitted, ashamed.

Who forgets their own mother?

"Oh, Bella," Esme said softly, leaning forward to wrap me in a hug once more. "If you will let me into your heart, I would love to be a mother to you, as well. I already see you as my daughter and love you as my own."

Her words brought a lump to my throat that I tried to swallow down.

"I might be bad at being a daughter," I whispered.

"You can never fail as a daughter, Bella," she argued. "You are already wonderful, and I love you more as each day passes."

We fell back into a comfortable silence, just gazing at one another. I told Edward that I didn't know what love was, but just from sitting with Esme for however many hours we had been here, I was beginning to think I had an idea.

I was in the middle of reciting to Esme the first time Edward told me he loved me when he came in the bathroom. Both of us were reduced to giggling messes, and when Edward cocked his eyebrow up in our direction, it only caused me to giggle harder.

"Bella was just telling me about the first time you told her you loved her," Esme explained with a smile. "And I must say…you get your charming abilities from your father."

With that, even Edward snorted and shook his head.

"Well, your charming husband is waiting for you in the kitchen," Edward said, moving to help Esme stand. "We ordered pizza for dinner tonight. I figured you could use a break from cooking."

Esme smiled softly and patted Edward on the cheek. "You are too good to me," she said.

Once Esme was out the door, limping slightly, Edward bent down and sat in the spot she had just vacated.

"What did you learn with my mom?" he questioned.

Instead of answering, I looked deeply into Edward's eyes, trying to see the boy that Esme once saw. I didn't see him, but what I did see took my breath away. He was staring at me just as intently, even a bit worriedly.

"I love you," I breathed, shocked at my own revelation.

"What?" Edward asked, shaking his head as if in disbelief.

"I love you," I said stronger. "I didn't know…I didn't want to see…" I rambled. "I love you."

Tears of joy and relief flowed down my cheeks as Edward swept me up in his arms, raining kisses all over my face. It was easy to ignore the pain when I knew how much I had pleased him.

"I love you more than life itself," Edward whispered, finally attaching his lips to mine.

I gasped as his tongue swept through my mouth, his passion radiating from every pore of his body. My hands crept beneath his shirt, my fingers tracing the outline of his muscles. I felt Edward's hands in my hair, tangling his fingers in the strands. We were so lost in one another that neither of us heard the throat clearing beside us.

It wasn't until there were three sharp raps on the open door that we finally broke apart, panting heavily.

"Dinner's getting cold," Carlisle said with a chuckle. "Though I'm guessing something cold would be nice for you right about now, Edward."

Edward moaned and moved his face to the crook of my neck, nuzzling my skin and causing me to giggle.

"You have no idea," he grumbled.

Without another word, Edward stood up, bringing me with him.

"I don't think I've walked at all in the last day or so," I said to him.

Hearing that, Carlisle turned back to us and ran his hand over the back of my head, pushing my hair back in place. "Walking is a privilege," he said. "Right now you are completely reliant on Edward for everything: your food, your clothes, your shelter, even your basic bathroom needs. Those are all privileges that you have to earn back."

I looked to Edward to see that he was nodding his head in agreement.

"I'll make you proud," I whispered, laying my head back down.

The rest of the day moved slowly. When we weren't eating, I was in the bathroom with Edward, Carlisle, or Esme. Sleep never came, though not for lack of trying on my part. The exhaustion was so great that I couldn't think straight, and I started imagining that someone was talking to me when they weren't. Not to mention that the lack of sleep caused me to be extremely emotional and every little thing made me cry at the drop of a hat. I didn't feel like myself, and I hated it.

After being awake for forty-eight hours straight, Edward finally allowed me to sleep. Needing no further instruction, I fell asleep in his arms before he even made it to the bedroom with me.

After what seemed like only seconds, I felt someone nudging me awake.

"Bella," they called. "Time to get up. Get up now or I'm going to dump you in a cold shower."

My eyes opened slowly, and I immediately felt tears at the corners of my eyes. Was he kidding?

"Why am I in trouble?" I cried, silent tears falling down my cheeks.

"Baby, this is for your own good," Edward said softly, brushing away my fallen tears with his thumbs. "You're not in trouble. This is just something that needs to be done to help you."

"You won't let me sleep," I sobbed.

"You just slept for an hour," Edward retorted. "That's all I can give you right now."

I shook my head and continued to cry as Edward lifted me into his arms like a child. The house was quiet and dark, which told me that it was in the middle of the night.

"Can I shower?" I asked, feeling the oil on my skin and the layer of film on my teeth.

Maybe showering and brushing my teeth would wake me up some.

"Showering is a privilege," Edward said. "You have to earn that right back."

"My legs really hurt. Will you make them feel better?" I asked, knowing nothing but Edward's touch could make me feel better.

"Soon, Baby."

I nodded my head, making a silent promise that I would never be bad again. I would do whatever was needed to make sure that I never had to go through this kind of hell again.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Edward told me that you had a sort of epiphany yesterday," Carlisle said, smiling at me.

We were once again sitting in the bathroom in our usual seats. I nodded at him, but said nothing. I couldn't make my mouth form the words.

"Tell me what you've learned from all your time with us these last seventy-two hours," he said, prodding me along.

Seventy-two hours? It's been three days? I haven't slept in three days?

"Edward's going back to work?" I asked sadly.

He said he was taking off work for three days, so did that mean he was leaving me again?

"Both Edward and I will be back to work on Monday," Carlisle informed me. "It's Friday, and we have the weekend off, but we'll both have to return in two days."

"I didn't realize you had taken time off to help Edward with me," I whispered, looking down as my face heated up in embarrassment.

I had caused so many people to go out of their way all because I had acted like a bratty child.

"We're family," Carlisle said softly, "and Esme and I will always be here for both you and Edward."

My emotions took another turn as I began to cry for what seemed like the hundredth time today.

"Stop crying and tell me," he said. "What was your epiphany?"

I wrung my hands together and looked down into my lap. I never realized just how lucky I was to have Edward for a future husband. He cared for me the way a man should care for his woman, and I was going to always strive to be the best wife for him and mother for his children as I could be. I finally knew what love was thanks to him and this family. They all showed me what life was really about, and I knew that would go to the ends of the earth for any of them the way they would, and have done, for me. We were family. And I was privileged to be a part of it.

"We love you, Bella," Carlisle said, smiling widely. "And you're right: we are family, and family helps one another. I'm so glad that you've realized your feelings for my son during this time. I know that you won't let us down."

I stared at him in confusion for a moment before I realized I had spoken out loud. A side effect of lack of sleep, no doubt. Carlisle leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

"You're ready," he whispered, standing up.

Not knowing - or truly caring at this point - what I was ready for, I watched as he opened the door and called for Edward. As soon as Edward was in sight, I smiled brightly at him and held out my arms, hoping that it was time for dinner.

Edward smiled brightly at me as his father clapped him on his shoulder.

"You have done well, my son," he praised. "Our assistance is no longer required, it seems."

Edward beamed back at Carlisle and engulfed him in a hug before turning back to me and lifting me up beneath my arms.

"This is for you," he said, sitting me on the counter of the sink. He reached into his pocket and placed a diamond ring on my left ring finger.

"Oh my god!" I said as I held the ring closer to my face. My vision was too blurry to see the detail of the ring, but I didn't care. "It's perfect. Thank you. Do I really deserve this?" I asked as Edward and Carlisle looked at one another.

"You do, Baby," Edward said before kissing my lips.

"Oh, Edward, I love you," I said, throwing my arms around his neck.

"Sleep, Baby Girl," he cooed. "You've earned it."

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

Thank you all for the reviews! I know you all have so many questions and with time they will be answered. Some of you have some crazy theories about is going to happen...they all aren't correct. I hope you all stick this out because it does get better.

* * *

The days turned into weeks and weeks soon turned into months. My days always seemed to fly by when Edward kept me on a strict schedule; it worked better for me to know what I needed to do every minute of every day. I liked the structure.

Every day I was in a constant state of mind, trying hard to be good, but sometimes I would mess up without meaning to. Thankfully, my infractions were minor, and only caused Edward to give me a spanking before we would move on.

Moving on auto-pilot, I pulled the couch away from the wall and grabbed the vacuum once more, still completely zoned out in my thoughts.

There was just one day, and I don't remember which day, where I was a rotten brat to him. The problem was, I couldn't remember what I had done to force his hand. Since then, I've been extra mindful of my attitude, appearance, and words when around him. I did not want a repeat.

"Time to get up," Edward barked, scaring me half to death.

No longer having to worry about the cuff, I grabbed the comforter that he had just tossed to the ground, and placed it back on the bed before making my way to the bathroom while Edward went to the closet to get my clothes for the day. I stripped out of my pajamas and waited patiently for Edward to come in behind me and turn on the water. Goosebumps broke out across my skin as the chilly air hit me. I looked out the door, but didn't see Edward. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. Usually, he didn't take this long in the mornings, and normally he had the heater on first thing. Washington was in a constant state of rain and cloud cover, which caused temperatures to be a little chillier in the mornings.

As another tremor wracked my body, Edward finally stepped into the bathroom. I lifted my face for his routine good morning kiss, but instead, he brushed right by me without a glance in my direction. Once the shower was on, he took my hand and helped me in. Deciding to take initiative, I leaned in to give him a kiss, but he turned his head away so that my lips grazed his newly shaven face. It felt like my heart dropped to my stomach. I didn't know what was wrong or how to rectify it. I quickly showered and leaned my head against the tile as I focused on my breathing while I waited for my fifteen minutes to be up. Something was definitely wrong with Edward, and I wasn't sure if it was something I did, or if there was something else bothering him. Either way, though, I didn't like the way our morning had started. As the warm water soaked into my skin, heating me nicely, I ran my hands tiredly over my face. Before I was ready, the water turned off and Edward was opening the door. I smiled up at him as he helped me out and dried me off, but my smile fell when he never even made eye contact with me. He did what he needed to do without a word to me. This was the time of the day when he would tell me what I needed to do for the day. Every day was the same, but some days he had extra chores for me to do or something new he wanted me to read. How was I supposed to know what he expected of me if he didn't tell me?

"Thank you," I said quietly as he ushered me to our bedroom.

I looked up and saw Edward staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched. He didn't acknowledge that I had even spoken. I dressed in silence, mulling over what it was that I could have done to deserve this treatment, but my mind couldn't think of anything.

Breakfast was the same. Not a word was spoken from him. He made breakfast silently as I sat at the table with my head down, wringing my hands in my lap. Breakfast this morning consisted of cinnamon rolls, and the smells that permeated the kitchen made my stomach rumble in hunger.

I licked my lips as he placed the plate in front of himself and began to dig in.

After he had a few bites, I finally spoke up. "May I have some, Edward?" I asked.

He kept his eyes down as he put some food on the fork and brought it to my lips. I moaned in appreciation of the taste as I chewed.

"It's delicious, thank you," I said gratefully.

Edward jerked his head and I felt my heart begin to inflate again. That was the most response I had gotten from him all morning. Once breakfast was done, Edward left the room without a word. I sighed and looked around, knowing for now, at least, that I needed to start here with my chores. As I worked around the kitchen, I was diligent in making sure everything was perfect. When he came to collect me for my studies, he glanced around the kitchen without a word. He brought us to his office and I immediately took my place on the couch where my book was waiting for me. I looked up expectantly, only to have my eyes fill with tears as I watched Edward sit in a chair across from me. If he wasn't working, he always sat with me.

"Edward, may I ask you a question?" I whispered.

He remained completely still, acting like he hadn't heard me.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He still said nothing to me.

"I'm sorry if I messed something up," I said thickly, trying to keep my tears at bay.

With that, he stood up and left the room. I put my face in my hands and cried, being careful not to cry loudly. If I cried too much he would get mad, and right now was probably not the best time for him to be even angrier at me.

Remembering Carlisle's words, I tried my best to dry my tears. I wasn't a baby. Once my tears had subsided, Edward came back with another drink and sat at his desk. Knowing that I would never be able to concentrate on my reading, I walked over to his desk and stood next to him. I was so nervous that I was close to rubbing a hole in the fabric of my shirt.

"Um...may I have a drink?" I asked as he pushed the cup to me.

I picked up the cup without looking away from him and took a small sip. "I'm going to finish my chores...is that okay?"

Again he didn't say anything. I choked back a sob and left the room. Not knowing if he expected anything different from me today, I went and cleaned our room and took care of our laundry, since that is what I would normally do.

Once all the basic chores were done, I realized that I needed to have a plan for dinner so I would know when to start it. I hesitantly made my way back to Edward's office and stepped over the threshold.

"What would you like me to make you for dinner?" I asked.

Instead of getting an answer, I received the silent treatment. Again. That was when I lost it.

"Please talk to me. Please?" I begged.

I darted across the room and fell to my knees beside him.

"You have to talk to me because I don't know what to make for dinner. I don't want to disappoint you," I cried as I grabbed at his leg.

Still silence.

I moved my head to his rest on the leg of his pants and wept openly, not even caring about seeming like a baby. I needed him. I needed him to tell me what to do. Why could he not see that?

"Edward, you always pick dinner. I can't cook without you telling me what you want. Please?"

"Say it," he said for the first time today.

I let out a shaky breath of relief. "You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said as I cried. "Are you talking to me now? Oh thank god. I didn't like it. Whatever I did I'll fix it. I'm so sorry, Edward," I sobbed.

"Do you see now how much you need me?" he asked icily, finally looking me in the eyes for the first time.

"Yes. I need you so much. I love you," I said as tears made their way down my cheeks.

"I love you, too, but you need to be a good girl," he said as I nodded in agreement.

"I did all my chores just the way you like them, and I want to make you dinner, but I don't know what to make," I said, trying to calm down.

"You can make a breakfast dinner. I could really go for some French toast. Maybe some eggs and bacon as well," he said as he pushed my hands away from him. "Get going."

He made a shooing motion with his hands, careful not to make contact with my skin again. I hated that he didn't want me touching him. I didn't know what I did to upset him so badly, and what was worse, was that I had no clue how to make it up to him. I tried to get myself to stop crying as I left the room, but the tears kept falling. He had to know how much I needed him; I told him every day.

Once I was in the kitchen, I pulled out the handwritten recipe Esme had given me for how Edward liked his French toast. I worked to make the dinner extra special, making sure that everything was cooked perfectly. I even added fruit to the top of the toast. I made one plate and set it in front of Edward's chair, putting some powdered sugar and syrup on the table for Edward to use to his liking. Then, hoping that Edward was in a better mood, I went back to the office to tell him that dinner was done.

I took a deep breath before I stepped into the room to see Edward bent over something on his desk.

"Dinner's ready," I said, clearing my throat.

He didn't even look up from his desk. He was back to not talking to me and I started to cry.

"All you have done is cry like a baby this afternoon. Do I need to treat you like a baby?" he asked harshly.

I flinched back immediately, taken off guard that he was actually speaking to me as he groaned loudly from his seat.

"Are you back to flinching, too, Cry Baby?" he hissed.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm trying to stop," I said with a hiccup.

"Well try harder," he snapped as I cried harder.

I stood just inside the door as he made his way towards me. Instead of leading me to the kitchen like always, he brushed right past me without sparing another look in my direction. He had always held my hand when we would walk through the house.

"Please tell me what I did wrong," I begged, still crying.

"You're still crying," he said.

"I'm sorry. Why won't you touch me?"

I had a feeling I didn't want to know the answer, but couldn't stop the question from coming out.

"I don't touch crybabies," he said, making me cry more.

We sat at the table and he started to eat. The tears continued to flow, which only made me cry even harder because I couldn't seem to stop them.

"I'm not feeding you until you calm down!" Edward exclaimed.

"I don't know what's wrong… I-I-I just want you to touch me," I stuttered out.

"Quit with the crying and I will," he said through his teeth.

I tried so hard to get my breathing under control, but I just couldn't. I needed him so badly.

"I-I-If you touch me I-I-I think I'll feel better," I said, trying to catch my breath.

I saw Edward roll his eyes, acting like he didn't even care.

"I n-n-need you and y-y-y-you won't help me," I cried, my whole body trembling.

"Keep it up, Bella, and you'll see the inside of the closet," Edward threatened.

I knew he was losing patience with me, but my body wouldn't stop shaking. My mind felt cloudy, like I couldn't control what was happening.

"NO! P-p-p-please d-d-don't do that," I said, throwing myself to my knees. "I-I-I can't b-b-b-b-breathe," I said, clawing at his pants.

I crawled my way up his lap until I was straddled across his legs. I laid my head on his shoulder and hugged myself to him, "I-I-I-I need you. You are the only one that can make me feel better. You are all I have," I said, trying to breathe properly.

"It's okay, Baby; I have you," he soothed as his arms went around my back. "Mmm, I love it when you're in my lap. You were right about one thing: I am the only one that can make you feel better."

I gasped in surprise at the feeling of his arms finally around me as another round of sobs overtook my body.

"I love you. I'm sorry for whatever I did," I cried. "I'll never do it again."

Satisfied with my progress of the living room, I nodded my head before bending down to wrap up the cord to the vacuum.

He never did tell me what I did wrong that day, but since then, I've done everything he said just to avoid feeling that way ever again. I tried so hard to be good for him. There was no worse feeling than upsetting him.

I stopped suddenly when I heard a loud creaking sound come from outside the front door. I froze for a moment as the silence overcame me. Not even daring to breathe, I waited a few moments to see if I could hear anything else. This was one of those moments where I wished Esme was still here with me. A while back, Edward told her that she didn't need to stay with me every day any more while he was at work. When he did that, I knew I was doing well for Edward, and this was his way of showing me his trust. While I was ecstatic at the thought of him trusting me, I was sad that I would no longer have that time with Esme. Now she was only required to come over a few days a week. Unfortunately, today happened to be a day where her presence wasn't needed.

Not hearing anything else, I mentally shrugged and continued wrapping up the cord.

It was a bit of an adjustment without Esme here to walk me through my day-to-day routine, but I needed to learn it all without someone always telling me what to do. I understood, but I did get lonely.

A few seconds later I heard the front door close, and my heart immediately began to race as I looked for an escape route. Who was in the house? A moment later, Edward peeked around the corner with a smile playing on his lips. My palms began to sweat as my mind raced. Did I miss something? I knew he didn't say anything about coming home early.

"Doing your chores?" he asked, looking around the house.

"Yes," I said, trying to control my breathing as I put the vacuum away. "You didn't say you were coming home early. Is something wrong?"

"No," he shrugged. "I took the rest of the day off. We have things that need to get done. Come on," he said as he headed up the stairs.

I quickly followed him up and into our room.

"Take off your shorts and shirt," he demanded as he went to the larger closet and pushed and pulled at the clothes.

I hurriedly pushed off my shorts and tugged at my shirt. I didn't understand why I needed to get undressed, but I wasn't about to argue. I was still in shock that he was home early, and I was excited at the prospect of getting more time in than usual with him today. I stood near our bed in just my underwear as he walked over to me and put a sun dress over my head. It was a light yellow dress that hung just above my knees.

"Say it," he whispered, brushing back some hair from my face tenderly.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said as he grabbed the hairbrush.

He ran it through my hair a few times, untangling some of the small knots that had formed while I was doing my chores. I closed my eyes and hummed in contentment. I loved it when he brushed my hair and he knew it. When he was satisfied, I felt his body edge away from mine until he was sitting on the bed. He looked over his shoulder at my closet and I started to grow nervous.

"Go open the door," he said as my breath hitched.

I wanted to ask why, but I knew better. I slowly walked over to the closet and opened the door, but quickly stepped away. My heart was racing in my chest and I was doing my best not to cry.

"Are you going to be good?" Edward asked.

"Yes...absolutely, yes," I said, nodding my head without looking away from the closet of terror.

"You haven't been in there in a while," he mused. "Is today the day?"

"No," I said firmly. "I promise to be on my best behavior."

"We have to go out in public. How do you act when we are out?" he asked.

This was something new I had been learning. I was learning how to act in the presence of others that were not family.

"Stay with you at all times. Only speak if I am spoken to directly, and I need to be on my best behavior," I said as he nodded.

"Now, you have to do me a favor. You are going to have to sign some paperwork, and I need you to sign your name the way it is written on the paper. Can you do that for me?" he asked.

I nodded my head again, knowing that I would do anything he asked of me. I understood this particular request, but I knew that I didn't need to, either. My duty was to do as he asked without question.

"You still want to marry me, right?"

"Yes!" I said excitedly, looking up to him.

My breath caught in my throat when I saw love and adoration flit across Edward's face.

"Okay, then. That's going to happen this weekend," he said as I squealed and rushed into his arms.

"I'm so excited!"

"I know you are, Baby," he said kissing me. "We will do everything here, and have a small party afterward to celebrate."

"Oh! I could cook or try to make a cake," I said, smiling widely.

"That's all being taken care of. Come on," he said, taking my hand.

He led me out the door and to the car. I loved being outside, and today was no exception. It was one of the rare sunny days Forks, Washington had to offer, and I was so thankful that I got to be a part of it. There was really no need for me to be outside, so it was a treat when I was. We drove through the small town until Edward pulled up to the police station. Once the car was parked and shut off, I began to fidget in my seat. I was nervous to be around people. Edward had been my life for so long, that I hadn't met anyone other than his parents.

"Best behavior," he reminded me before he opened the door.

I took a shuddering breath and stepped out to meet him at the front of the car. I kept close to him, not wanting to do something wrong. We made our way through the building until we came to a window at the end of the hall.

We came to a desk in front of the window where an older lady was sitting, typing away on her keyboard. Edward cleared his throat, which caused her to look up in surprise.

"How may I help you, Edward?" she asked with a fond smile.

"Kate, I would like to get a marriage license for my fiancé and me," he said with a smile.

Kate beamed and nodded, digging around in a filing cabinet beside her. "It's about time. Fill this out, and you both have to sign," she said as she passed Edward some paperwork. "You're a lucky lady. Make sure you take good care of him."

I nodded in complete agreement with her.

"I plan too, Ma'am," I said with a smile.

"Babe, sign here," he instructed, pointing out the last name. It said Swan, not Cullen. I understood what was expected of me. He gave the paper back to Kate and she read it over.

"Edward, Dear, there seems to be a problem. She's a minor; she needs parental consent," Kate said as I looked to Edward.

"Yes, this is what you need. I am her guardian," he said, leaning in close to Kate. As he whispered something to her, I looked down to my feet.

"Oh, I understand," Kate said. "This will be ready by the end of the week."

"Now we can get married," he said as we kissed. "But first I have to grab something from my desk."

We made our way to the front of the building until we were in a big room with a ton of desks.

"Sit and behave," he said, pointing to a chair by what I assumed was his desk. He rummaged through his drawers as a man walked up to the desk beside him.

"Cullen, if you have a minute, I need to have a word with you," the man said.

"Sure, I'll be right there, Chief," Edward said as he leaned over to me. "Do. Not. Move."

"But..." I started.

"Behave," he said as I nodded.

I really needed to use the restroom; I'd had a lot of water earlier. While Edward was back doing who knows what, I used the time alone to look around at my future husband's work place. It didn't look very inviting, but then again, I doubted they were in the office very much. Around me were the sounds of shuffling paper, a clock on the wall, and the occasional cough. Was it supposed to be this quiet?

As my bladder began to make itself known, I did a semi-jig in my seat, praying that Edward would come back soon. I had been waiting for a while now it seemed, and he had been gone longer than I thought he would be. I started to get nervous, and my head felt like it was on a swivel.

"Looking for someone?" A man questioned, making me jump.

"Um...Edward. I need to ask if I can use the restroom," I said politely to the very large man in front of me.

"Are you Bella?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes…" I said hesitantly.

"I'm Emmett. It's very nice to finally meet you," he said, sticking his hand out to me.

Trembling slightly, I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you," I said in a shaky voice.

"Huh...Edward wasn't kidding when he said you were shy," he said with a laugh. "Come on; I'll show you where the bathroom is."

"Oh, thanks, but I'll wait for Edward," I said nervously.

"He won't mind if you use the bathroom," he said, nodding his head to the side.

Against my better judgment, I stood and went with Emmett. I didn't want to be rude...Edward said not to be rude.

"If you see Edward before I get back will you let him know where I am?" I asked, feeling sick to my stomach.

I shouldn't have left my seat, but it was too late to turn around without raising suspicion. I quickly walked into the one stall restroom and did my business with shaky hands and a racing heart. Once I was done, I opened the door to see Edward standing there with a look of rage on his face.

"You are in so much trouble," he hissed quietly.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, even though I knew my apologies meant nothing for what I had done.

I forced myself not to cringe as he put his arm around my shoulders and led us to the nearest exit. His arm was tight with tension and his body language told me that I was in more trouble than I could possibly imagine.

"Edward!" a man called from behind us.

Edward pinched my arm hard as he stopped walking. He looked down on me and glared furiously.

"What's up, man?" Edward asked, turning to the voice.

I chanced a glance up and saw that it was Emmett who had approached us.

"Rose wanted to know if you would like her to make anything for Saturday, or if Bella needed someone to go shopping with," Emmett said with a huge smile.

Judging from the smile plastered to Emmett's face and his relaxed stance, you would never guess that his friend was an inch away from committing a murder. Okay, maybe nothing that drastic, but if looks could kill, I would be dead and buried. Then again, maybe that meant that I was playing my part well. Emmett was completely oblivious to the fact that I was about to pee myself in fear of the man beside me, and that's the way it was supposed to be. I wasn't supposed to fear my husband. And in truth, it wasn't Edward I feared; it was what he was capable of that had me terrified.

"My mom is doing the cooking so I'll have to ask her," Edward said easily.

Edward's stance relaxed as he grinned at his friend. You would have never known he was livid.

"Okay, cool. Let me know. It was very nice to meet you, Bella," Emmett said as I nodded to him. "Want to go out to dinner tonight?"

"Oh, sorry; we already have plans tonight, but maybe next week," Edward replied.

I bowed my head and kicked at the gravel beneath my feet. I knew it was my fault that he had to say no.

"No worries, we'll figure it out, but we definitely have to go out all together," Emmett said as Edward agreed.

As Emmett walked back inside the station, Edward and I made our way to the car without a word. I felt like I should have said something, but I was pretty sure there was nothing I could say to make everything better. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel on the way home. I was fidgeting in my seat; I knew I was in so much trouble. We pulled into the driveway, and when Edward opened the car door, he took my hand in a bone crushing hold. Once we were in the house, he began to shout.

"You had to go and ruin one of the most special days!" he yelled. "Why would you move after I told you not to?"

"I'm sorry," I told him, tears already threatening to fall.

"Not good enough! Why?!" he yelled in my face.

"I had to go to the bathroom. Um...Emmett saw me looking for you, and he said I could use the bathroom. He said it would be okay with you," I told him as he glared at me.

"So let me see if I understand this...Not only did you move when I told you not to, but you went to another man to fulfill your needs?!"

I shook my head at his way of thinking. I would never seek another man out to fulfill my needs. Only he could do that for me.

"It wasn't like that," I said, backing away from him.

"Did you ask him if you could use the bathroom?" Edward challenged.

"No! I said I had to ask you, and he said I could," I replied.

"And you listened to him. You listened to another man and went with him," Edward said with a heaving chest.

"I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry. It will never happen again," I said as I cried.

"Oh, you're right about that," he spat, grabbing my arm.

I didn't resist as he dragged me up the stairs to our room. I knew a spanking was coming, but I would take it because I behaved so badly. Instead of leading us over to the chest in front of the bed though, Edward walked right past it and straight for the one thing that I knew I couldn't handle. I started to scream and wail as he opened the closet door.

"No! Please don't do this!" I screamed as I hit him with my fists.

I was not going in the closet.

"Oh, yes," Edward hissed. "A spanking wouldn't be enough for what you did," he said as he moved me toward the closet.

"Edward, don't do this, please," I pled as I held onto his shirt with a death grip. "Please, please, please," I begged.

"You were a very, very bad girl. You misbehaved after you said you would be good. You ruined what could have been a great day. You seem to ruin every good day we could have! I won't be surprised if you ruin our wedding. You are such a bad girl," he said as we somehow both ended up in the closet.

I tightened my fists and wrapped my legs around his waist in a vice; I wasn't going to let go of him.

"You are going to spend the night in here if you do not let go of me," he said, holding my face in his hand.

I gulped heavily at what I saw when his eyes connected with mine. No longer were they the gorgeous green that I had come to know and love. They were a dark green, bordering on black as his pupil widened in the dark and they held none of the warmth that he usually showered with me. He was beyond furious, and I knew that dragging this out was only going to make things worse in the long run.

I sobbed as I let go of him, feeling like I was sealing my own fate as his shirt slipped from my fingers. He backed out of the closet quickly, leaving me alone inside. I begged him with my eyes not to do it, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. The minute I stood up from the chair to follow Emmett, I had sealed my own fate. As soon as the door to the closet shut, I started to scream and scream until I had no voice left. I kicked and hit the door, but nothing brought Edward back to me. I tried to scream some more, but that just ended with me having a coughing fit. My throat was raw. The walls were closing in on me and I was getting dizzy. My breathing was fast and short...I was hyperventilating, and there was nothing I could do about it. My legs finally gave out after a bit and I hit the floor with a thud. I needed to get out before I died. It was too small, and that was all I could think about. I had done everything in my power to keep myself out of the closet, but here I was. I tried to scream again, but all that came out of my mouth was a horse squeak.

After a while, I had exerted myself to the point of total exhaustion. I laid face down on the floor and stared out from the crack under the door. I couldn't move or speak. All I knew was that I needed to get out. My entire body hurt. There wasn't one part of me that didn't hurt. I coughed a lot, but that just made my throat hurt worse.

I saw Edward's shadow as he walked past the closet door three times. I tried to call for him, but my voice was gone. My tears never stopped, and my eyes burned from all my crying. I watched his feet stop at the door and then I heard the door handle jiggle. I tried to move, but the thought of getting out of the closet made my tense muscles relax, making it impossible.

"I have never in my life heard a child throw a bigger fit than what you just did," he said as I cried. "I should just leave you in here."

"No!" I tried to beg, causing another round of coughing.

"My father was right. You are nothing but a baby. Look at you lying on the floor with no voice and crying like a two year old. I don't know who's going to be the bigger baby, you or our child. You're ridiculous," he said harshly. "Get up."

I did my best to get up, but it was not without difficulty. Once I was on my feet, I reached for Edward but he backed away.

"I didn't tell you to touch me."

He was so disgusted with me and I couldn't blame him. I was disgusted with myself.

"I'm sorry," I croaked and coughed.

"Quit talking. You have no voice because you screamed for fifteen minutes straight. God, I don't even know what to do with you! Every time I think you're ready to move on, you fuck it up," he said as I looked down. "I talked to my father..." he started to say as all the blood left my face. "He said to spank you and move on. I wasn't going to spank you, but after that fit, how can I not?"

"I'll do anything..." cough, "to make..." cough, cough, "this better," I struggled to say.

My throat burned from the exertion I put on it by trying to talk, but I needed him to know how deeply sorry I was that I had hurt him - that I had sought out another man for my own selfish needs. And if my throat had to bleed for him to forgive me, then that was a price I was willing to pay.

"First things first: quit talking. You need your voice back for our wedding. And stop crying! You're the one that did this, not me. I'm doing my best to do my part, but you make it so fucking difficult. Going off with other men, throwing temper tantrums...I don't think I can do this," Edward said, running his fingers through his hair.

"I love you," I choked out.

"Just leave, Bella. I don't want you anymore. You're too much of a headache. You say you love me, but you don't. If you did, you would have been a good girl. But instead, you ruin everything."

My heart sank to the bottom of my feet and it was hard to breathe again. All I could do was shake my head no back and forth.

"Let's see how long you last without me."

He took me by the arm and headed for the door.

"I'll die without you. I have nowhere to go. Who would take care of me?" I asked with what little voice I could, followed by more coughing.

"Not my problem," he said as he pulled my limp body out of his room.

"Don't do this," I cried with a cough. "I'll do anything. I will never speak to another man ever again. I swear! Don't throw me out. I need you," I begged, coughing roughly.

He stopped walking and looked down at me. I took the chance I had and wrapped myself around him. I managed to get my arms around his neck and I pulled myself right to him.

"Anything...I'll do anything for you," I whispered, my tears soaking into his shirt.

"Quit talking," he whispered in my ear. "Do something like this ever again, and I will never, ever speak another word to you."

My whole world crumbled as I clung to him like he was going to disappear. He didn't want me to talk, so all I could do was shake my head, hoping he understood that was something that I never wanted to happen. My feet were lifted off the ground and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I clung to him like there was no tomorrow. I buried my face in his neck as he walked back to the bedroom. I even kissed on his neck to show how grateful I was for him. He set me on my feet, and without being told, I stripped out of my clothes and placed myself over his knees.

"Sometimes you can be such a perfect little girl," he said as his hand rubbed my bare skin.

I hung on to him as he started to spank me. I was taking this spanking very well, knowing I fully deserved it. After twenty swats, I quickly dried my tears as he stood me back on my feet. I threw myself at him again, and hugged my naked body to his. He didn't want me to talk, so I was hoping that my gestures said enough. I rubbed my hands up and down his back as I took in deep breaths of his scent. He was all I needed.

He let me take comfort in him for a while before he led us to the bathroom. He put my hair in a ponytail as he kissed my neck. I loved the feeling of his lips on me. He ran a bath and let me lay my head back as I allowed the warm water consume me.

"I don't want you to talk to other men without me or my father present," he said softly. "And you never leave with another man when I'm not around unless I tell you it's okay."

I nodded my head as I closed my eyes, letting his voice wash over me and soothe me.

Edward talked to me about whatever was on his mind, and I smiled at the calming sensation his voice gave me. He didn't wash me, but he did sit on the floor and run his fingers over my wet skin. If I tried to talk, he would shush me. I had so much I wanted to say to him, but I knew I would have to do it another way.

"I'm going to go make us some soup for dinner. I think you could use a time out, so I want you to stay in bed," he said as he dressed me.

I nodded in confirmation as he helped me into bed. He kissed my lips and I smiled into our kiss.

"Will you be a good girl?"

I quickly nodded my head, so he gave me a smile before he left the room.

I sat on our bed and thought about everything I wanted to say to him. As I sat there, I remembered my notebook was in the night stand drawer and I quickly pulled it out. I found my pen and wrote Edward a letter. I needed him to know what he meant to me - how much I needed him. Words couldn't express my devotion to him, but I was going to do my best to portray it.

Edward, I am so sorry for what happened today. I disobeyed you, and I never want to do that again. The thought of not being with you breaks me. You are my whole life, and I can't live without you. I love you so much. There is no worse feeling than you being mad at me. I know you don't want me to talk, so I am hoping that this letter shows you how sorry I am and how much I love you. Please don't ever leave me; I need you more than I need air to breathe. I will do anything to make things right between us. I love you.

I signed my name with a heart, folded the piece of paper in half, and set it on his pillow. When I laid my head back, I felt lighter. I was still with Edward, and that was all that mattered. A few minutes later, the bedroom door was opened and Edward walked in carrying a tray of food with two drinks.

"I made you some tea...what's this?" he asked, setting the tray down and picking up the note I wrote him.

I gave him a small smile, hoping that he took the letter the way I meant it. His smile made me relax as he read the words I wrote. He walked over to my side of the bed and gently pulled my legs, maneuvering me so that my legs were around his waist. He kissed me as his hands explored my body. I loved when he did that. He lifted my shirt and ran his fingers across the bare skin of my stomach. I could feel his erection straining against his pants as he rubbed himself against me. I moaned into his mouth, loving when he got like this. It didn't happen often enough. I wanted him so badly.

"Mmm," he moaned, running his tongue over my lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I croaked.

"No talking, Baby," he scolded lightly. "You need your voice for Saturday."

I kissed him as he smiled at me lovingly.

"Sit up so I can feed you."

I did as I was told, and when the food was gone, he laid me down onto his chest, running his fingers through my hair. Exhausted from the day that I had, my eyes closed of their own accord.

"Sleep, my perfect girl," I heard Edward whisper.

I cuddled into his side as he held me close; it only took a few minutes for sleep to pull me under.

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Poor Bella she tries so hard, but come one Edward is effing confusing! Leave a review with your thoughts we love to read them!

Thanks to the girls who put so much into this story one way or the other. I love that they take time out of their lives for my stories!


	14. Chapter 14

Are we ready for a wedding? There is also a lemon so this chapter is just jammed packed! We want to say thank you to everyone who has rec'ed this story! The lemonade stand and girls on fb have been amazing and we just want to hug you all. The reviews we have received have been pretty great. Keep them coming and we will keep the chapters coming to you!

We own nothing but the plot

* * *

The next morning, Esme kept me in bed per Edward's orders while he was at work. Guilt rolled through my stomach as she came and went, mothering me all while taking care of all my daily chores. I was sure that Carlisle didn't approve of this, and I couldn't blame him. Edward and this house were my responsibility, not hers. And once again, because I acted like a spoiled, rotten child, Esme had to step in and take over.

The third time she came to check on me, I decided that enough was enough.

"Esme, I'm-" I started before she cut me off with a click of her tongue.

"No talking, Sweetie," she said gently, sitting beside me on the bed. "You really do need your voice for tomorrow."

I sighed in frustration, but nodded my head in defeat. It wouldn't do any good if I couldn't say 'I do.' Plus, tomorrow was going to be one of the biggest days of my life, and I wanted to have nothing but positive memories of it.

"Edward had arranged for you and me to go shopping today for a wedding dress," Esme said casually as my head shot up. "But because of recent events, he said that was no longer allowed…"

I felt tears sting my eyes as I looked back down at my hands. Once again, I was being shown just how much my action affected everyone around me. I was selfish.

"So, I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty in picking out a few dresses for you that I thought you might like," she said cheerfully, lifting my chin so that I was looking at her. "I brought them with me for you to try on. That is...if you would like to?"

I nodded eagerly, a wide smile splitting my face as I choked back tears of joy and relief.

Esme patted my knee and stood up. "I'll go get them."

Suddenly awake, I waited anxiously on the bed for Esme's return. I just knew that she had found the perfect dress for me to marry her only son in. I would be honored to wear whatever she picked out. I couldn't wait to become Edward's wife. It would make our relationship official, and I was giddy with excitement. I had waited all summer for this moment, and I refused to wait a minute longer after tomorrow. When Esme came back in, she was holding three separate white garment bags, folded in half over her arm. I sat up and clapped my hands in my own version of showing her my excitement.

"Well, come here, Child," she chided. "Your voice is out, but your legs still work."

Laughing harshly, I leapt out of bed and was by her side in three strides.

"Let's try them all on, and then you can decide which one you want to wear for your wedding," she suggested.

I nodded and eagerly helped her lift out the first dress. I gasped in shock and awe, before quickly stripping out of my pajamas, leaving me in only my panties. Too excited to be embarrassed about my lack of dress, I raised my hands as she helped lift the dress over my head. It was a pure white, simple dress, and while I loved it, it just didn't feel…right. I couldn't explain it, but something felt off about it.

Esme stepped back to take a look at me while I gawked at myself in the dresser mirror.

"It's lovely on you," Esme said thoughtfully, "but I pictured it differently. Let's try the next one."

I nodded as we made quick work of putting on the second dress. It was much puffier than the first, and definitely not a style I would have chosen for myself, but I liked it. Then again, I had that nagging feeling that this wasn't the dress either.

"I think I saved the best for last," Esme winked, pulling out the final dress.

I helped her maneuver it over my body and gaped in surprise. It was perfect! It had two straps that crisscrossed in the back and a plunging V shape over my breasts. There was some sort of design in the center right below my breasts, made out of diamonds - or what looked like diamonds - that sparkled when the light hit them just right. The dress was simple, yet elegant. She was right; she did save the best for last.

I turned around to see Esme with tears falling down her cheeks, her hand over her mouth.

"You look beautiful," she whispered.

I smiled back and wrapped my arms around her in a firm hug, conveying to her just how much this moment meant to me.

"I love you, Mom," I whispered to her, not caring that I wasn't supposed to talk.

It needed to be said.

"I love you too, my daughter," she said, her arms wrapped around me.

When Esme had managed to gain control over her emotions once more, she helped me strip out of the dress before hanging it up in the master closet.

"Edward knows not to look before the wedding," she explained with a chuckle.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening passed fairly quickly. There truly wasn't much for Esme to do chore-wise, so we spent the majority of the day lying in Edward's bed, eating snacks, and talking about the wedding and reception. Well, Esme was talking. I was listening and nodding along, or writing my responses in my notebook.

When Edward was due home about half an hour later, Esme sat up and wrapped her arms around me.

"My son has been very lenient with you these last few months," she said quietly. "Don't expect him to lighten up once you are married. If anything, he is going to become a lot more possessive of you, and punishments for bad behavior will become more severe. You are the source of his happiness, and he will do anything to see to your own happiness. You just have to let him in," she advised.

I took a shaky breath and nodded my head, even if it was hard to imagine the punishments becoming more severe. I shuddered, not wanting to let my thoughts travel down that particular path.

"As his wife, you'll have more rules that you are expected to follow, and I feel like you're going to have an even harder time with them because you're still in school," she said, running her fingers through my hair.

I fumbled with pen and paper and wrote hastily on it. Maybe she could help me with this.

I don't want to go to school. I asked to continue with my homeschooling, but Edward said no because he has to work. But what if you could do it with me?

I watched as her eyebrows furrowed together before she looked down and gave me a small smile.

"Why don't you want to go to school?" she asked.

Not safe. I wrote. I want to stay here.

Esme pursed her lips for a moment before speaking. "Is it just school that you believe is unsafe, or is going out in general?"

I thought for a moment before I began writing. Putting my thoughts into words, though, was harder than it should have been.

I guess it's going out in public. Even when Edward is with me, I still get anxious and nervous that I'm going to mess up, or that someone will take me from him.

"Bella, Sweetheart," she said gently, "you can't live your life in fear. What about when you need to go grocery shopping for your family while Edward is at work? What about when your child wants to go outside and play, or has a doctor appointment? Are you going to live your life in your home, neglecting your wifely and motherly duties?"

Shaking my head, I realized that she was right. I couldn't live my life that way. Not when Edward would be depending on me, and especially not if our child needed me to go out.

You're right, I wrote. I'm just nervous about being in a new school.

"You're going to be fine," Esme encouraged. "You only have two years left. You're there for an education and that's it."

I nodded once more, still feeling a bit of dread in my stomach at the thought of two years in another school.

"Let's go downstairs and wait for Edward," Esme suggested, bringing me out of my dreary thoughts.

Esme popped in a movie as we both sat on the couch waiting for Edward to finally come home.

"Dinner is in the oven," she said a few minutes before Edward was due back. "Just pull it out and serve it up. I'll be over early tomorrow morning to help you get ready for your big day. Remember to do exactly as Edward says. There are going to be some extra people here at first, helping with the set up, so make sure to stay out of their way."

"I will," I rasped, closing my mouth quickly when she shot me a dirty look.

I smiled at her sheepishly and turned my attention back to the movie. At that moment, though, I heard Edward's car pull into the driveway and I jumped up from the couch to meet him at the door. When I made it there, he already had the door open and his arms wide, ready to embrace me.

"Hey, Sweet Girl," he said, lifting my face so he could get a good look at me. "How are you feeling?"

I nodded and smiled at him to show him that I felt fine, and sighed in relief as he wrapped me in his arms once more.

"I'm going to go talk to Mom and then I'll be back," he said, moving away from me. "Why don't you get dinner set up for us?"

I nodded once more and made my way back to the kitchen, duly noting that I would be glad when I could use my voice again; this nodding thing was getting redundant. As I was placing the lone plate on the table, Esme waved to me from the front door, calling out that she would see me tomorrow. I waved in return, and then went to the fridge to grab Edward a beer and a glass of iced tea. Edward rarely drank alcohol, but when he did, he usually only indulged on Friday evenings when he wasn't expected to be at work the next day.

"Let's eat," Edward said as he strolled into the kitchen. "I'm starving."

I giggled at his playful pat on his belly, and stood on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. "It's ready," I whispered.

Once he had seated himself on his chair, I made my place on his lap and waited for him to eat a few bites before asking for some of my own.

"Mom said that you did really well today," Edward said, making conversation.

I beamed at him in response as he fork-fed me some of Esme's amazing lasagna.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips gently to mine. "I want to hear nothing less ever again."

I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck, smiling widely. Edward's praises meant more to me than anything else in this world. My goal was to prove to him that I could be good - that I wanted to be good for him. I knew that I wouldn't do anything that could jeopardize our wedding day. It wasn't just my day, but it was Edward's as well. I was going to make it memorable for him.

When we had our fill of dinner, I cleaned the kitchen while Edward sat at the table and sipped on his beer. Once I was finished, he swept me into his, arms causing me to giggle loudly.

"Let's go to bed early tonight," he said as he made his way up the stairs with me. "Tonight is the last night we go to bed as boyfriend and girlfriend. After tomorrow, we go to bed as a married couple."

I blushed and looked at him shyly. I couldn't wait.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

The next morning, the sound of a doorbell ringing throughout the house woke me up. I sat up in bed groggily and rubbed at my eyes. When I looked over to Edward's side, I saw that he wasn't in bed with me. I didn't have long to ponder where he went, because a second later, our bedroom door opened, revealing the man of my dreams.

"Yes, Reverend," he said, checking his wrist watch. "How about in thirty minutes? Okay. Okay, great. See you then."

I looked up at Edward confused as he snapped his cell phone shut.

"Let's get you showered and dressed," he said nuzzling my nose with his. "We are set to be married in about two hours. I let you sleep as long as I could. You won't be getting any tonight," he said, chuckling darkly.

"Why won't I be getting any sleep tonight?" I asked, confused and a bit taken aback by his tone.

Instead of answering, Edward just laughed louder before pulling me to my feet.

"Your voice sounds much better," he commented. "Does your throat hurt?"

I shook my head.

"No."

"Good," he whispered huskily, bringing me up to his level and leaving a soft kiss on my lips.

I pressed against him a little harder, loving the feeling of his body against mine.

"Bathroom," Edward whispered, turning me around and giving me a sharp swat to my bottom.

I jumped in surprise and shrieked, quickly making my way to the bathroom. I debated briefly whether I should take the time to wash my hair or shave my legs, but my hair won out in the end. It was simply too long not to wash it. I was halfway through with my second leg when Edward opened the door. Looking up at him, I smiled briefly and held up the razor, showing him what I was doing.

"May I have a few more minutes to finish my leg?" I asked.

I smiled in relief as Edward chuckled and leaned in to kiss me on the lips. "How much more do you have to go?" he questioned.

"Just the top part of my leg."

"Five minutes," he warned.

I nodded and immediately got back to shaving. Remembering how the last time went when I threw a complete fit over needing more time, I smiled in triumph. Not only did I remember to ask, but I got what I wanted. He was completely rational about it, and didn't make me feel bad over needing more time, or even try to make me feel guilty. When my leg was done, I poked my head out of the door early, seeing Edward leaning on the sink across from me, his arms folded in front of his chest.

"I'm finished," I said.

Edward smiled and wasted no time in shutting off the water before pulling me out of the tub. I shivered slightly as he dried me off, his fingers lingering at the sides of my breasts. I heard him swallow audibly, and I glanced up to see him staring at me in a way he never had before.

"Are you alright?" I whispered.

He shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts before capturing my lips with his. His tongue pushed its way in to my mouth that I had opened eagerly for him. His taste surrounded me as the towel fell from his hands and to the floor. I gripped his shirt in my fists and forced myself closer, the tiny trails of water that he missed soaking into his shirt and pants. Neither one of us cared though, as our tongues continued with their tango. A few timid knocks on the door had us breaking a part quickly, gasping for air.

"Edward, the Reverend just pulled up," Esme called from the other side.

Edward let out a quiet curse before glancing at his watch. "He's early," he mumbled.

"One second, Mom," he called. "I need you here."

He looked back at me and took my chin in his fingers, lovingly placing a tiny kiss on each of my closed eye lids.

"You'll be with my mom the rest of the afternoon," he explained. "Please behave. I don't want to have to postpone our wedding any longer."

I shook my head vigorously. "I'll be good," I swore. "We will be getting married today."

"That's my girl," he praised. "I will see you in a couple of hours."

He wrapped the towel back around me so that I was covered before opening the door and leading his mother into the room.

"She needs her hair dried," he explained hurriedly as the doorbell rang once again. "I'll see you two at the altar."

He leaned down and placed a kiss to Esme's cheek before shooting me another quick smile. Then he was gone. Off to do...I don't even know what.

"You excited to get married today?" Esme asked me, taking another towel out of the closet and bringing it to my hair.

"More than you could possibly know," I whispered.

"Let's get you ready then, Mrs. Cullen."

I sat obediently on the toilet cover while Esme blow-dried my hair, thinking of the rest of the day. Edward and I would be married very soon, and then I would begin school. I jolted in shock as a random vision played across my eyes.

"Mom?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Girls my age don't usually get married," I stated quietly, afraid that I was about to offend her somehow.

I felt the brush still in my hair for a moment before she resumed with her strokes.

"No. No, they don't," she replied just as quietly.

I nodded my head but said nothing more. Not marrying Edward wasn't an option. Edward and Mom said I was there to get an education before I became a full-time, stay-at-home wife and mother.

"I guess I'm just lucky," I whispered with a smile.

I felt Esme exhale against the back of my head as she placed a kiss to my hair.

"Yes, you are."

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Okay, I have to go downstairs now and direct the last minute guests to their seats," Esme said, adjusting the straps of my dress one last time. "Carlisle will be up in just a few minutes to walk you down the aisle. Any last minute questions?"

I laughed and pulled her into a hug, willing myself not to cry and smear my make-up that she had just worked so hard on. "I'm fine," I repeated. "I'll see you downstairs."

Truthfully, I wasn't nervous. Not much at least. Marrying Edward seemed so normal...so perfect. I was already committed to him body, mind, and soul. Now all we had to do was make it official.

I sat down at the edge of the bed and waited for Carlisle. He was what I was actually nervous for. Would he try and convince me that I wasn't any good for Edward? Or worse...would he convince Edward that he could do better than me and have Edward call the whole wedding off?

I grabbed at my chest when I realized that I couldn't breathe. My chest heaved with the motions, but very little air was getting into my lungs. As the darkness began to close in around me, I made a last minute effort to hold it off by putting my head between my legs as much as my dress would allow.

"You're not getting cold feet, are you now?" A voice asked from beside me, a hand running up and down my back soothingly.

I jumped in surprise which caused my lungs to open up once more. I gasped for air, feeling the tightness that was in my chest lessen as I stared up into the piercing blue eyes of my soon to be father-in-law. I shook my head and tried to control my breathing.

"No, Sir," I whispered.

He smiled and moved away. "Good."

I watched as he walked around the room and took in the space around us. "I know that you can be a good girl, Isabella," he began. "But I also know how bad you can behave, as well. Throwing such a fit to the point where you lose your voice is not acceptable. But you're not going to have to be punished tonight, right? You're going to be a good girl for your husband?"

"Of course, Sir," I replied quickly. "I want nothing more than to please Edward and make this day the happiest of his life."

I felt the tug in my chest when Carlisle commented on my previous bad behavior, and I knew that I was going to have to earn his trust and respect again. I felt my breath hitch when he made his way over to my "special place." Without a word, he turned, looked directly in to my eyes, and opened the door slowly, as if he was gaging my reaction.

I began to shake uncontrollably.

"P-Please," I whispered. "I'll be good. I'll make you proud. D-Don't do this," I begged.

Without a word to show that he heard me, he stuck his head in the closet and came out wrinkling his nose.

"It's very small in there, isn't it?" he asked.

I didn't know if his question was rhetorical or not, so I swallowed against the lump in my throat and answered him, not wanting to risk his ire.

"It is," I agreed softly, barely speaking above a whisper.

Without shutting the door, Carlisle made his way back over to me, lifted my hands in his, and tugged up gently, showing me that he wanted me to stand. I hesitantly got to my shaking feet and gripped his hand painfully hard in my own out of fear.

"My son has been through a lot in his life, and it's about time he found someone to make him happy. I would do anything for him. I don't want to see an inkling of a fit today. If Edward says to do something, you do it with no questions asked. Don't ruin today for him," he said, glaring me. I took a deep breath, trying to get my shaking to stop.

"I'll on my best behavior," I promised with a shaky voice.

"I consider you my daughter," he said, smiling kindly at me. "You are a part of this family. You are a Cullen. Make me proud."

My eyes welled with tears as his words resonated in my heart.

"I will," I said, wrapping my arms around his back as he pulled me in for a hug. "Thank you for considering me worthy enough for your son."

We broke a part as soft music floated up the stairs and into the bedroom.

"That's our cue," Carlisle said, offering me his arm. "Are you ready?"

"Definitely," I laughed, grabbing onto his elbow.

Carlisle led us from the room to the top of the stairs, where he paused to allow me to take in the sights. I gasped at what I saw. It was like someone had turned our house into something from a fairy tale. The banisters were draped in white cloths, and rose petals were strewn about the hallway and down the stairs. Off to the right was where I knew Edward was waiting for us. On either side at the end of the staircase, there were two very large white candles that were lit, their flames flickering.

"It's beautiful," I whispered in complete amazement.

Carlisle chuckled under his breath while he held tightly onto my hand as we descended the last few steps. I looked down at my feet, taking extra precaution not to stumble or trip and take Carlisle down with me.

As we reached the final step, I finally looked up, and what I saw before me completely took my breath away. The living room had been rearranged, and instead of the usual chairs and couches, there were now white chairs lined up on either side of an aisle that looked like a white carpet runner, only fancier. Candles were lit at the corners of the room, and flowers decorated the walls. I vaguely noticed that there were about twenty other people in those chairs, but what my eyes were really trained on was the man at the front, wearing a black suit and a winning smile. Edward.

As we drew closer to him and another man beside him that I assumed was the Reverend, I felt a light blush stain my cheeks at the way Edward looked at me. I hadn't seen that look on his face in a while, and while it looked sexy and made butterflies appear in my tummy, it also looked predatory - like he wanted to eat me alive.

Lost in a haze, I leaned over and kissed Carlisle's cheek as he said something aloud to the Reverend, who had just asked a question. Then Carlisle placed my hand in Edward's with a head nod and a smile before taking his seat by his wife. As one, Edward turned us so we were both facing the front, his fingers intertwined with my own.

The Reverend began to speak, and while I tried to pay attention, I found myself lost in Edward's gaze as he looked me. The magical words that would marry us flew around me, but I couldn't bother to try and make sense of them. They didn't matter. All that mattered was that this man beside me was going to be mine...just like I was his.

"Isabella," the Reverend said, forcing my gaze to him instead of Edward. "Please go on with your traditional wedding vow that you've asked to say."

I blinked in confusion before Edward pulled out a tiny notecard from his front pocket and handed it to me. On the front were the words: read from this, my beautiful wife.

I smiled as I flipped the card and cleared my throat.

"I, Isabella, take thee, Edward, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, 'til death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance."

I blinked away my tears, and knew as I spoke them, that I would live my life doing my best to fulfill every one of these vows to my husband.

"And Edward, please go on with your traditional wedding vow that you've asked to say," the Reverend spoke.

"I, Edward, take thee, Isabella, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance."

My throat closed as Edward spoke of his devotion to me, and I couldn't help the tears that fell as Edward placed another band on my ring finger before giving me his ring to place on his own finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Without wasting another second, Edward pulled me into his arms and kissed me like there was no tomorrow. I threw my arms around his neck and clung to him as his tongue sought out my own. Music from the background began again as Edward pulled away. I blushed as a round of applause rang out from around us. I had completely forgotten that we weren't alone.

With another light kiss to my lips, Edward took my hand and led us back down the aisle, smiling and waving to those we passed. We didn't stop until we reached the backdoor, and then Edward swung it open to reveal a large, white tent that had tables, chairs, and rows of food set up beneath it.

Edward brought us over the front of the tent and took me in his arms. "You are so beautiful, my wife," he complimented.

"I love you," I whispered, still overcome with emotion.

"And I love you," he said, pressing his forehead to mine. "I'm pleased to introduce you to my coworkers and family."

I looked at him confused until he turned me around so that I was face to face with people I had never met before.

"Allow me to introduce you to some distant relatives," Edward chuckled. "These are the Denalis."

My eyes widened as I took in the people in front of us.

"This is Eleazar and Carmen," Edward said as a young man with black hair and brown eyes stepped forward. His arms were around a beautiful woman with olive skin and green eyes. "And their kids, my cousins, Tanya, Kate, and Irina."

I smiled and shook hands with them as they each greeted me in a slight accent that I couldn't place.

"Welcome to the family, Bella," Eleazar greeted before moving over slightly to greet Edward.

"We're very pleased to meet you," Carmen said kindly. "You must come visit us in Alaska sometime."

I blinked in surprise before I recovered enough to smile and thank her for her offer.

Alaska?

A line formed behind the Denalis as they promised to catch up with us before they headed back home.

To Alaska.

I still couldn't get over that.

I hugged and greeted more of Edward's family and coworkers, surprised by how many people showed up for our wedding.

"Edward, congratulations!" Emmett boomed out as soon as he was close enough.

Edward smiled and clapped him on the back as he leaned forward and kissed the cheek of the woman that had come with Emmett.

"Thank you for coming," he said happily, pulling me closer in to his side. "We should all go out for dinner one of these nights."

As Edward and Emmett made plans, the blonde woman beside Emmett came over and wrapped me in a hug.

"I'm so pleased to meet you, Bella," she said. "Edward has been talking nonstop about you for months. My name is Rosalie, and you've met my husband, Emmett."

We both looked over to where the men stood, and laughed as Emmett flexed his muscles for an amused looking Edward.

"Yes, we've met," I replied, not wanting to go into details about how I was now leery of her husband because of what happened to me after we met.

As people made their way through the line to congratulate us, my head began to spin with information overload. I really tried to remember his family's names since they seemed so important to him, but I'm sure I forgot quite a few. I was happy when we were done and were able to finally sit for a few minutes. Not having been to any kind of wedding before, I had no idea what to expect. What we were treated to though, was Emmett and a cousin of Edward's named Jasper, giving "best man" speeches that had me so grateful that I ended up with Edward as my husband.

"You're a lucky girl," Jasper said, raising his glass to me. "Edward is the best man I know, and I know that he will give you the world."

I wiped away a few tears that had fallen and raised my glass back at him as he saluted us.

Finally, after lunch, cake, and dancing with my new husband, Edward excused us, picked me up in his arms, and ran with me to his car, not stopping even as grains of rice fell over us. I laughed as someone called out that we were escaping as Edward deposited me in the front seat and shut the door quickly.

I watched him run around the car and jump in his own seat before peeling out of the driveway, grasping my hand in his.

"You're taking me out of the house?" I asked, unable to hold in my excitement any longer.

Edward nodded and kissed the back of my hand.

"It was a surprise," he admitted. "If you were on your best behavior, then I was going to reward you with a night at a special place of ours."

"And I earned it?" I asked, making sure that this wasn't a trick.

"You more than earned it, Mrs. Cullen," he smiled.

I smiled and turned back to the front, excited to be out with my now husband. I took in the scenery as Edward drove straight down the 101 and up into the mountains. No words were spoken as he drove, and it wasn't until we came to what looked like a secluded cottage that I finally broke the silence.

"Misty Valley Inn B and B," I read on the sign as we passed. "What's a B and B?"

Edward smiled and took my hand again. "It's where we will be having our first night as a married couple," he said.

I was so tired from the day's events, and I was ready to cuddle with my husband and go to sleep for a little while before maybe asking him if we could sightsee. I gaped in wonder as I took in the sights while Edward led us up the porch and to the door. There, he knocked and waited a minute before an older woman answered and pulled him in to a tight hug.

"Oh, Edward, you finally made it!" she said.

"I did," he laughed. "And this here is my new wife, Bella," he said, pulling me to his side and placing a kiss to the top of my head.

"She's beautiful," the woman said, grasping my hand. "I'm so pleased to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too" I replied.

"Edward, you two are in the Dutch Room up the stairs and to the left," she said fondly, closing the door behind us.

Edward grinned, kissed her cheek, and then led us into the cottage.

It was positively beautiful and elegant, with nice furniture placed around the entryway as we came in. I didn't have a chance to really take in my surroundings, though, since Edward went straight for the stairs and up to the last door at the end of the hall.

Once we were in our room, he turned me to face him. Our smiles matched one another's as he gently cupped my face in his hand.

"I love you. Today was the best day of my life. My whole family was there, and you were such a good girl," he said right before his mouth covered mine.

We kissed slowly as our tongues pushed against one another. His fingers almost ghosted over my skin, sending chills up and down my spine. My eyes opened wide as I felt the zipper of my gown slowly move down my back. I don't know why the feeling startled me, but he had never undressed me while we were kissing before. Everything felt different. As my dress fell to the floor, his hand skimmed my bare back. His mouth left my lips, but not my body. His lips went from the corner of my mouth to my cheek then down my neck. His hands moved up my back, and I felt him unhook my bra. When he licked my collar bone, my whole body shook. I didn't understand my reaction to his touch.

"I think I just found your sweet spot," he chuckled, licking me again.

I couldn't help the half giggle/half moan that left my lips.

"Unbutton my shirt and take it off."

My eyes met his to make sure he was serious...and he was. My fingers fumbled with the buttons, and I started getting nervous when it seemed to take forever to get three buttons undone.

"We have all night," he said placing his hand over mine. "Take your time. Enjoy it."

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and he moved his hands so I could finish what he asked of me.

Once I started again, I took his advice. I felt empowered at the feeling of taking off his clothes. Once I had his shirt unbuttoned, I placed my hands on his stomach and rubbed them up to his shoulders. I loved the feeling of his skin under my hands. I smiled as Edward threw his hand back and moaned. I knew from his reaction that I was doing something right. Once I had my hands on his shoulders I pushed his shirt down his arms.

"That was the sexiest thing a woman has ever done to me," he said as I smiled.

He put his hand on the back of my neck and his mouth was on mine again. His lips pressed harder against mine, but he still went slowly. His moans and groans were making me want to kiss him more...better. I felt like I needed so much more. He ran his fingertips down my neck and all the way to my bare breasts. As soon as his fingers reached my nipples, I flinched in surprise.

"No flinching," he whispered in my ear while still kissing me.

"I'm sorry," I said, kissing his shoulder apologetically.

"Tonight is going to be all new to you, Baby. There can be no flinching," he said, rolling my nipples between his fingers. "Just do as you're told and be a good girl." I nodded furiously, hoping that I hadn't upset him.

He lowered my back to the bed and my legs dangled off the edge. He leaned over me with his hands on each side of my head and smiled as he sucked one of my nipples into his mouth. I gasped for air and my back arched right off the bed. I was sure my eyes were huge as his teeth grazed my opposite nipple. My chest was heaving, my heart was racing, and my hands hurt from gripping the comforter so tightly, but he kept going from one breast to the other. After a while, I found myself relaxing and really enjoying his touches. He kissed each of my very hardened nipples before smiling up me.

"You are so sexy. I'm so happy," he said, making me smile.

He stood up, keeping eye contact with me as his hands went to his belt. I could feel his eyes on my face, but my eyes were on his hands. Slowly, he undid his belt. He popped open the button of his pants, and my heart picked up even more as he unzipped his zipper. My chest started to heave as the pants fell off his hips. I had seen him naked before...his butt anyway, but in that moment I knew: he was going to have sex with me. I knew that's what he wanted. I remember learning about sex in school, but that was it. I trembled as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of the small pair of panties I was wearing.

I wanted to close my knees so that he couldn't remove the last barrier that was separating us, but I knew that would not end well for me. He'd seen me naked many times, but this time was different. The way his eyes watched me caused me to grow even more nervous.

"I'm scared and I don't know why. I trust you, but..." I started to say as he pulled his boxers briefs down, causing me to lose my train of thought. "Wow...are they all that big?"

"Oh, you sweet girl," he said with a chuckle. "No, they aren't, but you are never to look at or touch anyone but me."

"I only want you," I said quickly.

He moved my legs that were dangling off the bed so that my feet were flat on the mattress, my legs spread wide.

"Oh, Baby, you don't know how perfect you look like this," he said as he ran his hands down my open thighs. "This may make you flinch, but don't be overdramatic."

I nodded as I tried to hold still; I didn't want to disappoint him. He ran the back of his knuckles down the folds of my sex and he smiled when I didn't flinch.

"Good girl."

There was no way I could keep the smile off my face when he said something like that to me. He rubbed the outside of my pussy for a few seconds before he slid one finger between my folds.

"I'm sorry," I moaned as I flinched.

He rubbed my little nub, and I did my best to hold still. My breathing and heart rate were accelerating at a rapid pace.

"Am I being good?" I asked with a moan.

My body was on fire.

"So good, Baby; feel this?" he asked as he ran his finger around my opening.

"Yeah," I said with a shuddering breath.

"You're wet for me. That means you want me."

"I do!" I said enthusiastically.

He chuckled as he pushed his finger inside me, causing my back to arch off the bed. I couldn't help but flinch at the intrusion of his finger in my most private area, but I hoped he didn't catch it.

"Mmm...this is going to feel so good," he said as he pushed and pulled.

After a few minutes, he pulled back before adding another finger, stretching me out and causing me to flinch again. It wasn't painful per say, but it was definitely a new feeling.

"Sorry," I whispered as his eyes locked on mine.

"I told you it was okay this one time," he said with a smile.

"It feels...it feels...I don't know," I said, covering my face with my hands.

I was embarrassed because I didn't know what to say, and I felt like I should have said something.

"Just say what you feel," he said, biting his lip.

"Is weird the wrong thing to say?" I asked.

"No," he said with a chuckle. "I'm sure it does feel different."

He pulled his fingers out of me and he told me to move back on the bed. My heart started racing a mile a minute. This was it; this was really going to happen. He moved up on the bed in between my legs. He placed my legs over his thighs, and when he leaned into to kiss me, I could feel his hard flesh against me. It took all my will power not to move away from him. He moaned in to our kiss and I tangled my fingers in his hair.

"This is going to hurt, right?" I asked breathlessly.

"Just this one time," he said, kissing me again. "Just hang on to me and you can squeeze me as hard as you need to. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," I said as he rubbed my clit.

He lined himself up against me and I felt pressure at my opening.

"Oh my god," I said as he pushed more into me.

I grabbed his forearms as he continued to push forward even more.

"Edward!" I screamed as I felt a burning sensation like no other.

I could feel tears prickle my eyes. It felt like he didn't fit. I could feel everything as he pushed into me.

"Good girl," he chanted over and over.

Suddenly, his mouth was back on mine, swallowing my moans as his tongue pushed into my mouth. It felt cold on mine as the heat of my mouth encompassed his. As our tongues danced together, I was finally able to relax beneath him.

"This only hurts this time?" I confirmed as he wiped my tears away.

"Yeah, Baby, but for me it feels so good. You are so wet," he said kissing me. "You are so tight," he groaned as he sucked on my bottom lip. "You're doing great."

His words were making me feel better, and knowing that he was enjoying himself helped me know that I was being good.

He started to move in and out of me again, and I could feel the burning sensation start to subside. I kept closing and then reopening my eyes. I wanted them closed so I could focus on not flinching, but I wanted to watch Edward as he moved above me. He was moaning and groaning while he bit his lip. He kept telling me what a good girl I was and a smile would play on my face every time he said it. He rocked back and forth a million times; I wasn't sure he was ever going to stop. After a while, the burning stopped completely, but I felt so full. Whenever he pulled out a little I was able to breathe, but when he pushed back in, I would let out some kind of noise. With every moan or groan I made, Edward would smile widely. I loved to watch his smile. My hands kept moving up and down his arms, and when he would kiss me, I would move my hands to his neck or face.

"I'm going to cum so hard, Baby," he grunted as he started to move faster.

"Ok," I said with another shuddering breath.

He pumped into me three more times, and then he laid his head on my chest as I felt his cock twitching inside me.

"Oh, Baby; that was the best I've ever had," he said, kissing the tops of my breasts.

I hummed in contentment as I rubbed his sweaty back. I could feel his warm breath on my skin, and my eyes grew heavy as we lay on the bed together.

My eyes flew open as Edward moved, pulling himself out of me. I hissed at the feeling; it didn't hurt, but I felt different without him inside of me.

"Move up to your pillow," he said, lightly tapping my thigh.

I sat up and looked around, noticing for the first time that there were pink rose petals scattered around the bed, floor, and us. I laughed as I reached behind me and began peeling the petals from my backside.

"We ruined the petals," I laughed as I pushed the rest of them off the mattress before making my way to the left side of the bed.

I flinched as I fully sat on my bottom.

"You'll be sore for a day or so, but there is other stuff we can do," Edward said with a quick grin, removing the petals from his knees and hands.

"What does that mean?" I asked with a yawn.

"I'll show you later tonight. I need sleep," he said with a chuckle.

"Um...you didn't get my pajamas," I said as he climbed in next to me, completely naked.

I wasn't against the idea of him going without clothes - he was my husband now, after all - but it still felt strange for me to be naked.

"Babe, things are going to change now that we're married. One of those things is wearing clothes in our bed. From now on, you will always sleep naked," he said as my cheeks turned pink.

I pulled the covers back and snuggled in close to my husband. He wrapped his arms around me, and with one last kiss to my temple, I was out.

I awoke sometime later to a dark room and sweat covering my body. I looked around groggily, trying to figure out what woke me when I heard it again. A low rumbling sound…like a growl. I looked down and held a hand over my mouth to stifle my giggle.

It looked like our activities built up an appetite inside my husband.

Feeling my own stomach rumble, I looked to the clock beside the bed and saw that it was almost nine at night. We missed dinner.

"Edward," I whispered, nudging his shoulder.

"Hmmmm?" he groaned, rolling onto his side, pulling me back down to him.

I giggled and peppered light kisses to his cheeks. "We're hungry," I announced.

Edward snorted and cracked an eyelid at me. "Don't you mean you're hungry?"

At that moment, his stomach chose to make itself known again, and I burst into a fit of giggles. Taking advantage of my not paying attention, Edward tackled me, bringing us to the floor with a bump.

"Damn woman," he growled, bringing his lips to mine.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

The next two days passed blissfully. It was like Edward and I were in our own little bubble, and I didn't want anything to pop it. I found that it was easier to keep my behavior in check with other things to occupy my time...namely Edward. When we weren't out sightseeing around our bed and breakfast, we were in our bedroom making love, as Edward called it.

We didn't hear from anyone while we were there, and didn't see anyone other than the woman who owned the B&B. We saw her in the mornings for breakfast and that was it. It was like we truly were secluded here, and it was just what I needed after being around all those new people on the day of our wedding.

All too soon, though, it was time to go. We hugged Mrs. Thompson goodbye and then made the drive home.

"What happens now?" I asked.

Edward looked over with a grin before settling his hand between my thighs. "Now we go home for another week, and then you start school."

I swallowed against the sudden lump in my throat. School meant being around other kids my age - kids that wouldn't understand me or my marriage. From what little I could remember of my last school, kids were just plain brutal to those that were different. And being a junior and married, I knew that I was as different as they came.

They were going to eat me alive.

* * *

We will see you next week! Let us know your thoughts in a review and you can find us on fb, there is a link on my profile!


	15. Chapter 15

The first few days, when we returned home as a married couple, Edward and I hardly came out of the bedroom. He showed me the pleasure that could be had between a married man and woman. I didn't know how I was going to ever be apart from him again. When I moved a certain way, and could feel the soreness in my girly areas, it gave me butterflies in my stomach. Especially, knowing that only Edward could do that to me. I had been really spoiled though with all the time I had gotten to spend with him lately. He had been taking a lot of time off work, and I knew that soon we were going to have to get back in to the real world of work and school.

Instead of having me cook for him, we had been ordering in. Either that, or Esme would leave picnic baskets of food on the porch for us. She would simply text Edward before she came, and would drop it off without us even knowing she was there.

On the third night back, we managed to venture downstairs to watch a movie. I didn't realize how much I had slacked around our home until Edward tripped over a pizza box. I stood in horror as I watched him step on the empty cardboard box, before falling toward the coffee table in the middle of the living room, stubbing his big toe. I rushed to his side to help him, all the while willing myself not to laugh as he hopped up and down on one foot, bit off curses flying from his mouth.

"From now on, we're ordering food that comes in a fucking bag," Edward growled.

Unable to hold off any longer, I burst in to a fit of giggles as he mockingly glared at me.

"Think my pain is funny?" he asked, stalking towards me.

I moved back slowly, shaking my head and trying to force my lips down in to a frown.

As soon as the back of my legs hit the couch, Edward pounced, causing me to scream in delight. His body collided with mine gently as he wrapped his arms around me while we both tumbled onto the cushions. Without another thought, my shirt was flying off, landing somewhere behind the couch as Edward showed me that not all the fun was limited to our bedroom.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"There's no way we can continue to live like this," Edward said, kicking away yet another pizza box.

This one, though, had somehow made its way to our bedroom floor.

I giggled and pushed off the covers, making my way to the door, but being careful not to get trapped in the pizza box's clutches. It was time for my morning shower, but Edward was right: the house needed to be cleaned, badly. It had been neglected all week since I was otherwise...preoccupied.

"Shower, and then I need you to clean while I catch up with work from the office," Edward said, pulling me to the bathroom.

Once I was showered and dressed, I made my way downstairs to see where Edward wanted me to start. The entire house needed a good scrubbing, but I wasn't sure that I could do it all in one day. I found Edward in his office, flipping through a stack of paperwork.

"Edward?" I called out softly from the door.

He looked up and smiled, gesturing for me to come to him. Once I was beside his chair he pulled me onto his lap and kissed me soundly on the lips.

"Eat this, and then I want you to start upstairs," he said, handing me a pop-tart. "Do you want me to have Esme come over and help you?"

I nibbled on the edge of the strawberry pastry and shook my head. This was Edward's house, and I was Edward's wife, which meant that his house was my responsibility, dammit! I didn't need another woman doing my job.

"I can do it," I said firmly.

"Watch your tongue," he warned me, pinching the inside of my thigh. "I was just offering."

I bowed my head and nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Just get started."

Quickly finishing off my breakfast, I immediately went upstairs to get started, ideas of what to have for dinner floating around in my head.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

My anxiety grew each day as school approached. I was learning that being a wife was going to be harder than I thought. I had the whole house to worry about and satisfying my husband in the bedroom; and when I to added school to that? I was sure that I was going to get myself in trouble sooner or later.

As I went to Edward one morning after my shower, he showed me just how much things were going to change.

"Where would you like me to start?" I asked him, kissing his cheek.

To my surprise he just shrugged, his eyes not leaving his computer screen.

"Wherever you feel like needs the most work," he replied distractedly.

I opened my mouth to argue, but quickly snapped it shut. What did he mean by that?

"You always tell me where you want me to begin," I reminded him.

"That was back when you needed step-by-step instructions," he said, standing me up on my feet. "The house is your responsibility now, and I trust you to make sure that everything that needs to be done gets done in a timely order. Now get started," he said, slapping me on the bottom to emphasize his point.

I furrowed my brows and rubbed out the sting as I made my way out of the room. It looked like I was going to need to get myself on a cleaning schedule.

The next few days, Edward returned to work, which meant that I was alone. Knowing what was expected of me, I just from went room to room and did whatever I thought needed cleaning for the day. Esme came over occasionally, and I was able to talk with her about some of the negative feelings I was having about starting school on the following Monday.

"You don't need to make friends, but I'm sure you will have kids that you'll talk to," she said. "No one needs to know what happens in your home. Anything that goes on between a husband and a wife is a private matter."

I understood what she was saying. I knew that having friends wasn't an option, but I was okay with that. All I needed was Edward. I didn't think I ever really had friends before...I couldn't remember, though. That night after Esme left, Edward brought us up to the bedroom for our talk before bed. Talking about our days and menial things had become a sort of new routine with us that I loved. I lifted my arms as Edward stripped me of my clothes and then returned the favor for him, our lips locked passionately.

We tumbled in to bed, lying on our sides and facing one another. I hummed in content as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, looking at me like he couldn't believe I was in front of him.

"Your day will be starting earlier starting tomorrow," he said. "We will be up by five and in the shower. Then we'll have breakfast together. You will clean until seven-thirty, and then Mom will be bringing you to and from school..." he said, trailing off. "Do you have something to say?" I guess my face said it all.

"That's not fair to Mom," I said.

"It doesn't matter if it's fair or not; this is how it is going to work," he said as I bit my lip.

"I'm not questioning you, but I don't mind walking," I said as he laughed.

"As I was saying, Mom will pick you up after school," he said again, giving me a pointed look. "You can use your lunch time to do what homework you have from your morning classes. You are never to speak to boys. If I find out, the closet will be your only friend, and I don't care how loud you scream. Don't ask to do anything extra, either; the answer will be no," he said as I nodded my head.

"I understand," I told him as I looked at my hands. "What would you like me to do after school?"

"You need to do your homework while you cook dinner. What cleaning you need to do, needs to be done before I get home from work. Dinner will be on the table by six. After we eat, we will spend the rest of the night together if you have behaved throughout the day," he said as I nodded my head.

"What if I need more time to get everything done?" I asked as he groaned.

"We will work it out," he said, pulling me on top of him.

I giggled as his arms wrapped around me, only to be silenced as his lips found mine, his erection pressing in to my bottom. One great thing about Edward was that he seemed to always be hard. As we kissed and his hands wandered, I thought about the first time after the wedding where he showed me that there was more than sex.

We were still at home relaxing in bed, and I was feeling so tired after a day of doing nothing. I felt spoiled with spending so much time with Edward, but I liked the relaxing atmosphere. I was lounging on the bed wearing a skimpy nighty, while Edward brought up dinner. Edward said I would be wearing them often. He seemed to really like seeing me in them, so I didn't think twice about putting them on. We hadn't been together since the first night, but he had said there were other things we could do since I was sore. He never elaborated until after dinner that night. He had fed me, and we shared kisses in between bites. I loved being with him when he was so happy. After the last bite of food was eaten, he untied the silk strings that were holding my nighty closed.

"I want to show you how to please me with your mouth," he said as I looked to him in confusion.

"You don't like my kisses?" I asked, thinking that was what he was talking about.

"I love you so much," he said with a laugh.

Before I knew it, we were naked and I was on top of him. He brought my hand down to his very hard cock, and I wrapped my fingers around him, causing him to groan.

"Good girl. You make me feel so good."

I moved my hand up and down on him and he seemed to really like it.

"I want you to suck on me," he grunted.

I stared at his face, seeing that he was being completely serious.

"You want me to put it in my mouth?" I asked as he sucked one of my nipples in to his mouth.

"Yes. It's one of things we can do when you can't have sex," he said as I bit my lip.

He maneuvered himself so he was lying down and I was on my knees beside him.

"What if I do it wrong?" I asked as my heart stared to race.

"As long as you don't bite me, you'll do fine," he said as he put his hand on the back of my neck to guide me forward.

I let him push my neck until my mouth was at the head of his cock. I licked my lips out of nervousness, and my tongue swiped the tip of him. I flinched back when his erection twitched against my lips.

"I didn't mean to flinch. Why did it move?" I asked.

Every time I talked, my lips brushed against him.

"Because my cock wants to be in your mouth," he said with a crooked grin.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth. Edward took that moment to push himself into my mouth to the hilt, causing me to choke. He did this a few times, and I felt something salty on my tongue. I swallowed the taste and he groaned as he watched me. I was curious, so I ran my tongue along the back of his manhood. Edward moaned loudly and I smiled around him as I took him in my mouth once more. I closed my lips around him and lightly sucked. Every time my tongue swirled his cock, he would thrust into my mouth as far as he could go.

"Keep sucking and swirling your tongue. I'll move in and out of your mouth," he said with a groan.

As he pushed in and out of my mouth, my saliva was running out of the corners of my lips. I tried to wipe it away, but he told me no. He took my hand that was resting on his thigh and placed it at the base of his long cock.

"Stroke what you can't fit into your mouth," he said, sounding breathless.

I did as I was told and he started to move faster.

"Swallow...swallow," he grunted as my mouth started to fill.

My eyes grew large as I looked up to him. He seemed to be happy with me, so I swallowed everything that was in my mouth. I could see the sweat beads on his forehead, and when my mouth was empty, his body slumped onto the bed fully.

"Are you okay?" I asked, licking my puffy lips.

"You're such a good girl," he said as I smiled brightly.

He took my hand in his and pulled me to his lap. He had me straddle his lap as he kissed me passionately. His hands rubbed up and down my naked body, and I was responding to his every touch. I could feel him growing hard again, and I moved against his semi-erect cock, moaning in to our kiss as Edward clung to my hair. It seemed that whatever Edward did, made me want him more. He broke our kiss with a heavy breath, and his hands went to my hips. He stared in to my eyes as he lifted me slightly. I looked down between us, and saw that he was lining me up with him.

"Are you still sore?" he asked, biting his lip.

I shook my head no.

"Is it okay if we go slow, though?" I asked as the head of his cock entered me.

"Yes," he said with a long moan.

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the burn, but it never came. There was the feeling of uncomfortableness, but it didn't hurt. A smile spread across my face as I felt the pleasure that came from him being inside of me.

"I love you," I moaned as I buried my face in his neck.

He moaned loudly as I licked and nibbled at there. I didn't know where my boldness was coming from, but I just needed more of him. I kissed and nipped his neck and jaw as I moved myself up and down on my husband.

"Good girl. You are being such a good girl," he said as he pulled my body back so he could get to my breasts.

"Am I doing it right?" I asked with loud sound. "Does it feel good?"

"Yes, Baby. You are going to make me fill your pussy. Keep riding me until I tell you to stop," he said, squeezing my ass with his hands.

I moved faster and faster, and he met me thrust for thrust. I did as I was told, and bounced on him until he stopped me. He kissed me soundly before I fell asleep on his chest.

As Edward roared out his climax, I followed him, swiftly being brought out of my thoughts.

"Wow, Baby, that was great," Edward said as I moved off his lap.

We were both sweaty and satisfied.

"Where did that come from?" he asked breathlessly.

"I don't know," I said with a giggle. "I like being on top."

"I like you on top, too," he said, nipping at my lips as we cuddled together. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow we are going to the school for a tour and to do some final paperwork."

"Okay," I said with a yawn.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

The next morning, we were up and showered before six-thirty. I could hardly keep my eyes open in the shower, and on numerous occasions, Edward had to switch the water on cold to wake me up. Needless to say, as I was getting dressed, I was a shivering, annoyed mess. When I came to the bed, I was surprised to see jeans and a long sleeved shirt waiting for me. Normally, Edward liked me to wear dresses, so I wasn't sure why he changed the style. As we drove to the school, Edward gave me fair warning to behave. I knew he was nervous about school just as much as I was, though he was much better at not showing it. I wasn't going to let him down; it was my mission. I loved making him happy, and being a good girl and doing what I needed to do, was going to make him happy. As we got out of the car, I held Edward's hand tightly in mine. Soon, we were buzzed into the school and we headed straight to the office. Walking in, I immediately saw a woman behind a long counter. She looked to be in her thirties with short, choppy blonde hair. Our eyes met, and her mouth popped open. I furrowed my brows as she came together and smiled at Edward, not taking her eyes off of him.

"We have a meeting with Gerard Banner," Edward said aloud, since it looked the woman was just going to stand there and stare instead of actually trying to help us.

Her eyes met mine once more as a voice rang out from behind us. "Edward, how are you?" a man's voice asked as I was pulled out of my staring contest with the woman.

"I'm well, Mr. Banner," Edward said, shaking the man's hand.

"So, I heard you were taking care of your sister; is this her?" he asked as I gasped.

His sister? That kind of pissed me off, and I couldn't keep the look of hurt off my face. I looked back to the woman behind the desk who was still staring.

"No," Edward said, clearing his throat. "This is my wife."

"Oh, my mistake. You know how everyone talks in this small town. I thought I heard she was your sister. I'm very sorry I assumed," he said as he had us follow him to his office.

"I'm sure there has been a lot of talk, but I do hope your staff will protect our privacy," Edward said as we were seated.

"Of course. There should be no problem regarding such a matter," he said as he looked over the paperwork in front of him. "Everything seems to be in order here. I just need to make a copy of the marriage certificate."

Edward produced the piece of paper showing that we were married, and Mr. Banner looked over it for longer than I thought was necessary. He stood and made a copy of it for the file, handing Edward back the original copy.

"Here is your class schedule, Isabella," he said, holding it out to me.

I reach out my hand, only to have Edward's hand grasp my fingers as he took the paper first. Edward scanned the paper as both Mr. Banner and I waited for him to make his final verdict. I folded my hands in my lap while Edward hummed and hawed over the piece of paper.

"Is there a way for her to have a study hall at the end of the day instead of first thing in the morning?" Edward asked.

"I can check," Mr. Banner said as he clicked away on his computer. "I'm sorry; all of our classes are already full."

"That's fine. It all will work out," Edward said as he held on to my schedule.

I didn't miss the look that Mr. Banner gave Edward. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.

"Okay, If you will follow me, I'll show you around our school, Isabella," he said as I stood.

Edward took my hand and we headed out to the main hallway.

Mr. Banner showed us where all my classes would be, and I was confident that I could find them easily enough on the first day of school. He also showed us where I could sign up for after-school activities. I just nodded in understanding but said nothing. After-school activities would not be happening for me. Even if Edward did allow it, I wasn't sure I was comfortable with being away from home more than what was strictly necessary.

"Here at Forks High, we have over ninety percent of the student body in some sort of extracurricular activity," Mr. Banner informed us as we walked the halls of the high school.

Edward and I both nodded but didn't reply. Could that possibly be because there was nothing else to do in this small town? I wondered.

I didn't care what everyone else did. I was only at school to learn and get my education before moving on with my life as a wife. I didn't ask any questions as we walked around the school. I had a feeling school was school, and I was pretty sure they were all the same.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Mr. Banner asked, looking right at me.

"No, Sir," I said politely.

"Okay then. My door is always open. If you have any problems with any of the teachers or students, you can come to me," Mr. Banner said as I nodded my head.

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to show my wife around. She's very nervous about starting school," Edward said, shaking his hand.

"Not a problem. I hope you enjoy being a student here," he replied.

When we walked out to the car, Edward seemed to be on edge. Once I buckled my seat belt, Edward took off out of the parking lot. All the way home, he talked about how the life of a husband and wife is a private matter. I wasn't sure what his fear was; our life was no one's business. That's what he, Esme, and Carlisle had driven in to my head, at least. I mentally shrugged my shoulders and hummed in agreement. Maybe he just needed to reiterate that fact.

That night, Edward sat on the couch, pulling me down on his lap after dinner. I curled in to him and rested the palm of my left hand on his chest, feeling it move up and down with his breaths.

"Why do we keep our private life, private?" Edward asked, his lips brushing against my temple.

"Because it's private," I said, a little confused. "Our marital life is between us as husband and wife. What we do behind closed doors is for us only," I elaborated.

Edward hummed, his kisses raining down my jaw line. "Do my mother and father need to know about our married life?" he asked.

I shivered in his arms as his kisses became wet as he added his tongue. "N-no," I stuttered.

"That's right, sweet girl," he whispered. "Our life is just that. Ours. If you feel like people are trying to pry for information, you stand your ground and let me know as soon as possible. I'll take care of the rest," he promised.

"I will," I promised as he pulled his lips away.

I wasn't really planning on talking to anyone anyway, so I knew that I would more than likely be ignoring the questions instead of standing my ground. I really didn't see what the big deal about us was. We loved each other, and we both wanted to get married. It was as simple as that.

Once Edward was convinced I understood fully of what he expected of me, he brought us in to the bedroom and stripped me of my clothes. I saw him sigh slightly as he left my panties on, placing a small kiss to my stomach just underneath my belly button. Earlier that morning, both Edward and I woke up to a horrible surprise, and it seemed Edward was still a little bummed about it.

"Holy shit, Bella! Get up!" Edward yelled loudly, causing me to sit up straight in surprise.

Not fully awake, I looked over to Edward to see his jaw clenched and his eyes filled with sadness. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and immediately gasped in pain. I clutched at my stomach as a wave of nausea rolled through me. My eyes widened as I looked down, knowing what to expect.

"Oh my god," I breathed, looking at myself and the sheets, both of which were covered in red.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked back to Edward. "I'm sorry," I cried, "I didn't realize it was that time. I swear it."

Edward seemed to snap himself out of whatever daze he was in as he scooped me up in to his arms.

"It's not your fault," he whispered, bringing us both to the bathroom. "It's a completely natural thing, and I knew you were due for your period soon. I had just hoped…" he trailed off.

I blinked in confusion, but he didn't elaborate as he brought us both in to the warm shower. I scrubbed myself thoroughly with the loofa while Edward did the same for himself, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

"I had hoped that you would become pregnant right away," Edward said, finally looking to me as he rinsed off. "But it wasn't meant to be this month."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, tears falling down my face, mixing in with the shower water.

Edward lifted my chin so that I could see him before placing a loving kiss to my lips. "It's not your fault," he reiterated. "It will happen in time. In the meantime, you'll be wearing panties to bed."

I giggled as Edward pulled me on top of him on the bed, and immediately took my place between his knees. His rock hard cock was standing straight up under my nose. Since I was out of commission, this was the next best thing that he said I could do for him and I happily agreed. After he came and he was all cleaned up, he seemed a little happier. I hated to disappoint him. I crawled to my spot in our bed, feeling strange. It didn't feel normal wearing panties to bed. I had been sleeping naked since our wedding night, and having to wear even a pair of panties felt different.

Unfortunately, sleep did not find me easily that night. I was nervous to start school the next morning, and kept picturing horrible scenarios in my head. As I tossed and turned, Edward always had some part of his body on mine. Whether it was his arm, leg, or head, he always had something on me, which brought me comfort. Even in his sleep he was drawn to me. I knew it took hours for me to finally fall asleep, and I did not want to get up when Edward shook me the next morning. I couldn't even open my eyes. I just needed a little bit more rest.

"Let's go. It's time to get up," he said as I rolled to my side to get up. Once I was on my side, though, I got comfortable again. "I'm not saying it again!" he said harshly.

"Morning," I mumbled in to my pillow. I was trying to show him I was awake, but that still wasn't enough.

He roughly pulled the blanket back, and the cold air rushed my warm body.

"Now!" Edward yelled, making me flinch.

I slowly sat up and put my legs over the side of the bed.

"I'm so tired," I said with a yawn.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward go to the end of the bed and sit on the chest. Immediately, I felt my eyes widen as the tiredness seemed to vanish from my body. He only ever sat on the chest when he was about to give me a punishment.

"Let's go; you don't have all day," Edward said as tears filled my eyes.

I stood up and slowly walked towards him, my hands wringing together.

"I'm sorry," I said as I started to cry.

"When I say get up, you get up. Do you understand?" Edward asked as I lay myself across his lap.

"I understand," I said with a cringe as he started spanking me.

It was too early to be spanked, and I knew I wasn't going to disobey him first thing in the morning again.

After my punishment was over, we started our morning. While Edward made breakfast, I cleaned the living room and dining room. I knew this new routine was going to be hard to get used to. Just as I was putting the vacuum away, breakfast was done. We ate together as he gave me one more lecture.

"You know what is expected of you. You've already gotten yourself in trouble as it is, so please don't make me spank you again today," he said as he fed me some toast. "This cell phone is for you. You are to keep it on you at all times. The only time you are to use it is at lunch to check in with me. My number and Mom and Dad's number are the only numbers allowed on this phone. I have already texted you, so you only have to hit reply," he said, handing me a black phone. "When do you check in with me?"

"Lunch time," I said as he nodded.

"You are at school to learn, not to have a social life," he said with a pointed look.

I nodded in understanding, agreeing completely with him.

"I'm counting on you to behave."

"I'll be good, I promise," I said as I leaned in to kiss him.

"I have to get to work," he said, standing up and fixing his uniform.

I smiled at him and stood by his side, handing him his belt. He smiled in thanks and wrapped it around his waist as I stared. I could look at him all day. He was so handsome, and he was all mine. I also loved the way his arms looked...I couldn't explain it. He was too delicious for words.

"Here is some lunch money," he said, handing me a five dollar bill.

"Thank you. I hope you have a good day," I said as I walked him to the door.

"My mood will depend on your behavior today," he warned, placing his hand on the back of my neck.

"I'll be good," I said, reassuring him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. See you when I get home." With one more kiss, he was out the door and I was on my own for forty-five more minutes.

Within that time, I was able to get everything done. I knew I would double check after school, but I was confident that I had done well. Exhausted, I sat on the couch and lay my head back. I was so tired. I closed my eyes for what felt like a minute before Esme was waking me up. I flinched awake, knowing I had slept for a little while.

"Sorry, I didn't know I fell asleep," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Rough night?" she asked as she looked around.

"I was too worried about today to sleep, and then I got myself in trouble first thing this morning," I said as she shook her head sadly at me.

"Do you have everything you need? Are you ready, or do you need help?" she asked as I stood.

"I'm ready," I said, grabbing my backpack.

"You're going to love it. You have nothing to worry about," she said as we headed to her car.

I looked at her disbelievingly. I highly doubted that.

* * *

We are so happy with the response of this story! Thanks to Sally and Kasi for helping us I love the two of you to pieces!


	16. Chapter 16

Here we are for another update! Thanks for much to all of you that have reviewed! We love them all, so keep them coming. Thanks to my girls for all the help!

* * *

I looked up at the building in front of me and sighed wearily. I glanced back at Esme to see her nodding encouragingly from the driver's side of the car, the passenger's window rolled down. I gave her what I hoped was a winning smile, but I'm sure I looked like I was going to be sick instead.

"You know where to go?" Esme asked as I stood by the car, not wanting her to leave.

I nodded and looked at her pleadingly. "Are you sure about this?" I asked.

Esme gave me her own watery smile and nodded. "Yes, Sweetie," she encouraged. "You're going to do great. I'll be back to pick you up this afternoon."

I swallowed again and thanked her quietly. "Love you."

"Love you, too," she smiled.

With one last parting glance, I turned back around and took a deep breath. I could do this. I had done this before, somewhere far away from here. Confused, but too nervous to dwell on that radical thought, I made my way up the steps, aware of the curious stares I was getting from the other students that were mingling around.

I held on tightly to the straps of my backpack that was settled on my shoulders, and pushed back the hood that was over my hair once I was inside. Students lingered around everywhere; some were whispering behind their hands, while others were pointing directly at me. I blushed and looked down to the floor and hurried to where I knew my locker was.

Once I reached my locker, I pulled out my schedule from my pocket, though I didn't really need to look at it. I had it memorized. Still, it couldn't hurt to be cautious.

A ringing bell caused me to jump and drop my bag to the floor. I shook my head and muttered under my breath.

"Stupid warning bell," I groused.

I bent down to retrieve my bag and cringed as the fabric from my jeans rubbed against my warm backside.

"You must be Isabella Cullen," a deep voice said joyfully from beside me.

Forcing my back straight, I looked in to the eyes of a boy a bit taller than me. He had almond shaped eyes and dark hair.

"My name is Eric," he said, offering his hand out to mine. "Can I walk you to your first class?"

I looked at his hand and then back up to his face, stuffing my bag in my locker as I did so. I didn't want to seem rude, but Edward told me specifically that I was not to talk to any male that wasn't an authority figure while I was at school. But how he expected me to do that was beyond me.

I shook my head and grabbed my needed book before shutting my locker and walking in the opposite direction of Eric. I truly didn't want to seem rude, but I had rules to obey. And no offense to Eric, I'm sure he was a nice guy, but he wasn't worth the wrath of Edward.

"I'm here if you need me!" he called out from behind me.

I paused for a split second before continuing on, not acknowledging his offer. The only person I needed was Edward. Maybe he would warn the other kids to stay away from me. Maybe he would tell them I was rude. I didn't really like the idea of negative things being said about me, but then again, like Edward and Esme said: I wasn't here to make friends. I was here to get my education.

I walked into my first class, AP English, and gave the teacher the slip she needed to sign before trying to covertly take a seat.

"Miss Cullen, why don't you tell the class a little bit about yourself," she said sweetly, gesturing for me to take a stand at the front of the class.

I blushed ten shades of red and silently cursed her in my mind. Was I the only new student in this whole building on the first day of school?

I looked up at the class to see most of the chairs had been filled.

"Um," I stammered. "My name is Bella Cullen..."

I looked back to the teacher for help, but she looked more confused than anything.

"Do you live with Dr. Cullen?" a girl asked from the front row, leaning forward in her seat.

I blushed again and looked back to the floor. Edward and I didn't really go over this kind of scenario. He said kids would ask questions, but to ignore them or just tell them the truth to get them off my back.

"There's nothing to hide or to fear," Edward whispered as I confessed my fears to him about starting at a new school. "Our relationship is just ours, and if someone can't accept that, then they're really not worth talking to, are they?" he asked, biting gently on my ear lobe.

"N-no," I stuttered coming back to reality. "Carlisle?" I asked as the girl nodded. "No."

To my surprise, whispers broke out amongst the class, and I looked to the teacher pleadingly, silently begging her to save me from any further embarrassment.

"Thank you, Miss…Cullen," she said with a pause. "If you will just take your seat next to Miss Stanley, we'll get started. Miss Stanley, raise your hand."

I saw the girl that had asked the question raise her hand, and I moved slowly to sit in the empty desk that was to her right. Luckily, the class went by fairly quickly, and when the bell rang, I was the first one out the door in hopes to avoid any other invading questions. The next two periods came and went without further incident. It wasn't until my fourth class, Home-Ec, that the whispers really began.

I was directed to a seat beside a girl that I was sure was no older than a freshman. I carefully set my things beside her, not wanting her to ask me any questions. The tables were long, and easily fit two chairs. As I sat down, I kept myself facing forward like I had done in all my previous classes. Only this time, a couple of other girls in front of us turned around and began to eye me critically.

I wrung my hands on the top of the table, not making eye contact with them.

"Oh my God!" the girl I recognized as the Stanley girl from my first period exclaimed loudly. "Is that a wedding ring?"

I blushed fiercely but kept my hands where they were. I was not ashamed. I was a happily married woman.

I didn't bother answering her. Instead, I kept my eyes straight ahead. I saw the little pixie girl next to me turn my way and look at my hands as well.

"Fuck off, Jessica," she hissed. "It's none of your business."

My lips quirked as I tried to hide my smile.

"Shut up, Alice," Jessica said snidely. "It's not every day you meet a married student. Are you pregnant or something? Why would Officer Cullen adopt a pregnant teenager?"

Hearing my husband's work name come out of her vile mouth forced my attention to her. Pregnant? Adopted? It never even occurred to me that people would assume I was adopted.

"I'm not adopted," I said quietly before the girl beside me, Alice, could retort.

As grateful as I was to her for standing up for me, it wasn't her battle. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that this Jessica girl was far from done.

"But you don't live with Dr. Cullen," she said.

Obviously. I rolled my eyes inwardly.

"No," I agreed.

"And you call him by his first name," she mused. "Do you…"

She was cut off by Alice, who seemed to have had enough. "Are you going to speculate all day, or are you going to turn around and leave us alone?" she asked.

Jessica shot her a dirty glare before turning back to me, smiling wickedly. "You know, in this day and age, you don't have to wear a ring when you get pregnant. You can just get your mistake taken care of."

I'm sure my eyes were wide as my jaw dropped.

"I'm not pregnant," I hissed, my face flushed in anger. "I'm married."

At that moment, the teacher called the class to attention, and I had the slight satisfaction of seeing Jessica's face pale. She obviously wasn't expecting that. I knew the rumors would be circulating afterward, but I really couldn't find it in me to care. I wasn't ashamed of my marriage. Or of Edward.

As the teacher discussed what we would be doing this semester, I couldn't help but grow excited with everything she had planned. When the bell rang, Alice grabbed onto my hand and offered me a slight smile.

"Just ignore the jerks," she said, nodding her head in the direction of Jessica and the gaggle of girls she had around her. "I'm Alice, by the way; Alice Brandon. Would you like to sit together at lunch?"

I smiled in relief and nodded my head, grateful that there would be someone beside me to fend off the wolves. I know I wasn't supposed to make friends, but Alice just seemed like the kind of person I needed around.

"I would love to," I answered.

We both grabbed our bags and headed out the door, with Alice leading us to the cafeteria. As we stood in line, I couldn't help but wrinkle my nose at the food that was placed in front of us to choose from.

"Um, Alice?" I asked, using my fork to stab at a piece of brown goo. "What is this stuff?"

Alice looked over and wrinkled her own nose. "Brown mystery meat," she concluded.

I opted then to get a bowl of fruit and some milk before following her to a table off to the side of the room. Whispers and stares followed us, but I didn't pay them any mind. I was sure that Jessica was telling everyone what happened in Home Ec, but that was fine with me. The sooner people knew, the sooner it would all blow over. I hoped, anyway.

"I need to start packing my lunch," I muttered, opening up my milk.

Alice laughed as she popped a chip in her mouth. "Now you see why I eat from the vending machines."

I laughed with her. "I don't think I'll get away with that," I smiled. "But I will definitely pack tomorrow."

Alice's laughter ended abruptly, which caused me to look her way. She was looking at something over my shoulder. I spun in my chair and came face-to-face with the boy from this morning, along with another boy beside him, with Jessica's arm draped across his shoulders.

"Hi, Isabella," Eric said, beaming at me like were lifelong friends. "Want to join us at our table? You don't have to sit here with Alweird," he offered.

Alweird? I looked to Alice and saw that she was turning red, her head bowed and looking at the table.

I bit my lip and turned back to the boys and Jessica. Did they really just insult Alice right in front of her? I didn't want to disobey Edward by talking to any males, but I couldn't just let them get away with insulting my new friend.

"No, thank you," I replied as kindly as I could. "I want to sit with Alice."

I turned back to face Alice, only to stop short as a large, beefy hand landed on my shoulder. I shuddered as I turned back around to find that the hand belonged to the blonde boy.

"Maybe next time," he said, winking.

I watched in disbelief as they turned around and walked back to their own table, where the rest of them were starting at us in rapt attention. Turning my attention back to Alice, I saw that she was still staring intently at her food.

"I'm sorry, Alice," I whispered, reaching out and placing my hand on top of hers.

Alice's head snapped up as her fingers squeezed mine in thanks.

"You did nothing wrong, Isabella," she whispered. "I'm not the most liked person here at Forks High," she chuckled humorlessly.

"I like you," I offered. "You stood up for me and you don't even know me," I shrugged. "That makes you likable in my book."

I popped a grape in my mouth and smiled at her, bringing out my phone so that I could check in with Edward.

I miss you, I typed. No homework to work on just yet, but I definitely think it would be smart to pack lunch from now on. Forks ISD is trying to kill us with mystery meat.

I looked up after hitting send, placing my phone in my lap before a faculty member could see.

A moment later my phone vibrated against my leg.

Well, I don't want you to make me a widow this early in life. I'll have Esme pick up some lunch food and drop it by the house tonight.

I smiled and sighed at the way he was taking care of me.

"Ah, young love," Alice sighed dreamily. "I hope to have that one day."

I laughed and put my phone away for the remainder of lunch.

"I told Edward that I would like to bring lunch from now on," I admitted.

"Edward is your...husband?" she clarified hesitantly, as if she didn't want to push.

I grinned and nodded. "Yes. We were just recently married, though."

Alice nodded. "Your parents let you marry him?" she asked. "Isn't he in his thirties?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but realized that I didn't know the answer. My father had given up his guardianship to Edward, so I guess that meant that all I truly needed was Edward's blessing. I rubbed at the front of my forehead where I could feel a headache coming on. Was there something I was missing?

"It's a long story," I mumbled, "but Edward is only thirty."

Alice laughed and stood as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. "A hot older man? I'm jealous," she teased.

Ignoring the whispers and stares was easier when walking beside Alice. I considered myself to be short at only five foot four, but Alice had me beat by at least a head. She couldn't be more than five feet. Alice also had bright blue eyes, where mine were just a dull brown. She had short, spiky black hair, where mine was long, wavy, and brown, with hints of red in it. We were polar opposites, yet I couldn't help but feel a kinship with her. I was also surprised to learn that she was not a freshman like I had thought, but that we were the same age.

Walking in to Biology, I managed to snag a seat in the back, away from prying eyes. Halfway through the lecture, Eric walked in with a note. The class was silent as he handed to note to the teacher before taking his leave.

"Miss Cullen, you are needed in the front office," Mr. Greene called from the front of the room.

I instantly blushed as every head turned towards me. After gathering my things, I made my way out into the hallway, only to stop short when I saw Eric leaning up against the lockers to my right. Knowing that I didn't have any other option, I walked past him to get to the front office.

"You don't have to be so antisocial," he said, falling in to step beside me.

I continued to walk as if I hadn't heard him.

"Most people find that rude," he continued when he realized I wasn't going to acknowledge him.

Suddenly he was in front of me, taking my left hand in his as he squeezed tightly to keep me from pulling away.

"So it's true!" he exclaimed as he let my hand drop. "You're actually married? You're a Cullen?"

Blinking back tears, I walked around him, accidentally brushing his shoulder with mine.

"What a pedophile," he said, catching back up to me. "I'm surprised Officer Cullen hasn't lost his job yet. Or maybe they'll throw him in his own cell."

I gasped and swung around, facing him. "Edward has done nothing wrong," I hissed.

Eric rolled his eyes, completely unabashed by my anger. "You mean to tell me that you're an eighteen year old junior?" he asked sarcastically.

What was with everyone and my age? It wasn't any of their business! Without answering him I continued to walk.

"I thought so," he muttered. "Did he get you pregnant or something?"

Lucky for Eric, we had reached the office door. I was about ready to unleash on him when the door swung open to reveal the Principal himself.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Yorkie," he said. "You can go back to class now."

I turned and glared at Eric as he walked away, his hands in his pockets like he didn't have a care in the world. What a jerk.

"This way, Mrs. Cullen," Mr. Banner said, leading me to his office.

I took my seat across from his desk as he sat in his own leather chair.

"I wanted to speak with you for a moment," Mr. Banner said. "I've arranged a meeting for you with our counselor in just a few minutes."

I blinked in confusion, not sure I was understanding what he was trying to get across.

"No disrespect meant, Mr. Banner," I said politely, "but why would I need to see the school counselor?"

Mr. Banner had the decency to look at his hands before he looked back at me, clearing his throat.

"The rumors have already spread throughout the school," he said. "I'm sure you've heard them. I just wanted you to meet our counselor in case you feel like you ever need someone to talk to."

Sighing in defeat, I nodded my head and leaned back against the chair.

"Isabella," he started, "are you happy at home?"

First Eric and now him? Really?

I jumped up from my seat and took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Yes, Mr. Banner," I grit out through my teeth. "I'm very happy at home. With my husband."

Mr. Banner nodded and stood as well, opening the door for me and guiding me to a chair in front of another office.

"Very well," he said. "If you'll just wait here, Mrs. Cope will be with you momentarily."

Seeing no teacher or authority figure once Mr. Banner was gone, I quickly brought out my phone to call Edward. As I pushed his number on speed dial, I bit my lip and hoped that this would qualify as an emergency.

"Bella?" he asked. His voice held a little frantic tone. "What are you doing? This better be an emergency, Little Girl."

I swallowed against the lump in my throat before speaking. "The Principal called me into his office," I whispered, sure that I would get in trouble if someone caught me on the phone. "He's making me see the school counselor. He asked if I was happy at home," I said, not pausing to breathe. "Why are they making me see the counselor?"

I heard Edward growl and then what sounded like a car door slamming.

"Where are you?" he barked.

"In a chair, waiting to be called in to see the counselor," I replied.

At that moment, I heard voices coming from behind the door and I knew my time was up. "I have to go," I said hastily, closing my phone and putting it back in my pocket just as the door swung open.

I hoped I wasn't going to pay for that later.

I tried to look like I wasn't doing anything wrong as a sullen looking boy came out of the office, followed by a large woman with dark red hair.

"I'll see you next week, Daniel," the woman said before turning to me.

"Isabella, come on in."

I stood reluctantly and followed her into her office, taking a seat in front of her desk, much like I had just done in Mr. Banner's office.

"So, Isabella," she greeted. "I'm sure you know that I'm Mrs. Cope, and that I'm the school counselor."

I nodded my head that I knew and waited for her to continue.

"My door is always open, so if you need me, feel free to just come on in," she said.

I nodded once more. Was that it?

"How do you like your first day?" she asked.

I shrugged and looked towards the door. "It's going alright."

"Are you making any friends?" she questioned.

I nodded my head, immediately thinking of Alice. Could I count her as a friend? I knew I would like to, but I also knew that it was something I would need to discuss with Edward.

"And what about your home life?" she pried. "Are you adjusting well?"

I snapped my head back to her. "What does my home life have to do with my school life?" I asked.

"I find that they go hand-in-hand quite often," Mrs. Cope mused. "And being married and in high school...don't you feel like that is a lot of pressure on you?"

"No I don't," I said, looking her directly in the face. "Mrs. Cope, I understand that what Edward and I have isn't the norm, but I love him and I don't need anyone else."

"Everyone needs someone," she argued. "Do you tell Edward every time you are upset?"

"Yes, we talk all the time," I said as she smiled.

"Does he tell you what you can do, or where you can go?" she asked, digging deeper.

I narrowed my eyes at her and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from lashing out at her and raising even more suspicions.

"I don't think I like what you're insinuating," I said softly, mulling over my words. "And I don't think my husband would appreciate this line of questioning, either."

Edward warned me about the rumors. He warned me about the teasing and the mean things the kids would possibly say to me or about me. However, he did not warn me about this - that I would have to defend our relationship to other adults. If my family knew that marriage was a private matter, then why did I need to explain it?

"Officer, how can I help you?" I heard through the door.

I turned toward the door and didn't think twice before I quickly stood to open it.

"Edward," I said, seeing him from the door.

He quickly made his way to me and hugged me to him.

"I told you I didn't want to do this," I whispered. "I just want to go home."

"Everything is going to be okay," he said, kissing me on the top of my head while leading us back into the room. "Is there a problem here?" he asked roughly. "I don't like to hear my wife so upset."

"Mr. Cullen, why don't the four of us talk," Mr. Banner suggested from behind us.

I held on tightly to Edward as Mr. Banner came inside the office with us, closing the door behind him. He gestured for us to sit before taking his own seat. I wanted to curl up in Edward's lap, but I was sure that wasn't allowed.

"We only pulled Bella aside so we could make sure everything was going okay," Mrs. Cope said. "Other children can be vicious with their words, and the rumors are swirling like crazy already."

I cocked my head to the side, knowing that was only part of the reason they had called me in.

"That's only partly true. Your true motive was to play twenty questions with me. I don't care about what people say about me for the fact that my life is no one's business. I can speak for myself, and if I don't want to say anything, I won't. I've already made it clear to the nasty girls here that I am not pregnant, and that stupid boy who was sent to get me out of class was nothing but a jerk to me, and practically manhandled me on the way over," I retorted, remembering the way he had grabbed my hand in his. "I will let people have their theories about me, but I won't let anyone disrespect me or my husband," I said as I looked to Edward. "I'm not going to put up with this."

"I think you are going to be just fine," Edward said with a smirk that he was trying to hide.

"But what is this about being manhandled and why did you not know about it?" he growled, looking towards the principal.

Mr. Banner had a pink tinge to his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Mrs. Cullen did not mention anything like that when she was brought to my office," he said defensively. "And how is it that you knew we were even meeting with Isabella?" he fired back.

"Because I am trying to not cause problems," I said exasperated. "But please refrain from sending that boy to get me out of class again. And Edward knew about this meeting because I called him," I answered before Edward could.

I looked over to see Edward pinching the bridge of his nose and I knew that he was getting very upset. He rubbed his lips with his finger before he turned to Mr. Banner and Mrs. Cope.

"Mrs. Cullen, the use of cell phones on school grounds is prohibited," Mr. Banner said sternly. "You can get detention for that."

Edward stood suddenly and stared at Mr. Banner in shock. "Gerard," he said slowly. "My wife felt threatened, not only by a fellow student, but by two prominent authority figures who represent this school. Surely you can understand why she would call her husband at that point in time? The one person that she trusts more than anything right now."

Mr. Banner nodded his head and looked to his feet for a moment before looking back up. And I couldn't blame him. Edward in his police uniform was very...intimidating.

"Isabella, we aren't trying to upset you. We just want to make sure you aren't being bullied in any way," Mrs. Cope said sweetly as she cut her eyes quickly to Edward and then back to me. "And I will personally call in Eric later today to find out from him what happened. Now, who is the friend you made?" she asked, changing the subject.

"You made a friend, already?" Edward asked as I turned to look at him.

"Kind of..." I said trailing off.

Edward was getting madder by the second, and I knew that this impromptu meeting with all of us was not going to end well. I knew I shouldn't have talked to Alice.

"It's a good thing," Mrs. Cope said. "Who is it?"

"Um...Alice Brandon. She defended me earlier," I said as Mrs. Cope's face lit up.

"That is just wonderful! I'm so happy to hear that," Mrs. Cope said, looking at Mr. Banner. They both looked happy that I had said her name.

"She is a very nice girl," Mr. Banner agreed.

"Now that the air seems to be cleared, Bella go back to class," Edward said as I quickly got up to take my leave.

"I'm sorry I bothered you," I whispered as I hugged him.

His arms wrapped around me and he placed a chaste kiss to my lips. "Esme will pick you up at the end of the day and we'll talk more then," he said.

I nodded my head, and with one last parting glance, I strode out the room and into the empty hallway. I blinked back my tears of frustration and looked at the clock. The bell was due to ring any second now, so instead of heading back to Biology, I went in the opposite direction towards my next class. There were only two more classes until the final bell of the day, and already I didn't know how I was going to survive it, knowing that Edward was still here.

I wanted to go curl up with him and feel his hands smoothing my hair. I wanted to feel his lips against my skin. I just wanted to feel him.

To my surprise, Alice was in my next period class and we managed to snag a table in the back for the two of us. Of course, with the school the size it is, we also had Jessica, Eric, and the blonde boy in class, as well. Other than a few snide words thrown in my direction throughout the class, it went by fairly quickly, and I was excited to get to the gym for my last class of the day.

While I was extremely uncoordinated and hated any kind of physical exertion - unless it involved being physical with Edward - I was looking forward to P.E. because this was another class I shared with Alice. Somehow, throughout the day, she had slowly wormed her way to my side and I was really hoping that we could be friends.

The worst part of gym was when Jessica threw a ball at my head. She also made snide comments in the locker room that put me in an extremely foul mood. If I heard the word pedophile fall from another person's mouth, I was going to break down. I didn't understand what everyone's problem was. I was ready to go home and just crawl into bed. I was over being at school already, and today was my first day.

I glared at her back as she exited the locker room before ripping my shirt over my head to change out of my P.E. clothes.

"It will all blow over soon, Bella," Alice said gently, walking over to one of the bathroom stalls to change.

"Not soon enough," I grumbled, pulling up my jeans.

I waited for Alice to finish changing, and we walked out of the locker room side-by-side.

"Do you have plans for this weekend?" she asked as we came to the student parking lot.

I looked around, seeing Esme parked right outside the gate. "Um...actually, I do," I replied, giving her a genuine smile. "My in-laws are coming over for my birthday dinner," I explained.

Alice clapped her hands and smiled brightly. "How wonderful! Can I have your number so that I can call you?"

My smile fell slightly, remembering that only three very important numbers were allowed in my new phone.

"Um, I'll have to ask Edward," I said hesitantly. "But I'll let you know tomorrow."

Alice nodded with a smile. "Great! See you tomorrow."

I chuckled and waved as I made my way to Esme's car. It was like Alice understood me on a different level than anyone else. With that thought, I all but ran to the car that was waiting for me. I thought that my mood would have gotten better after my talk with Alice, but all it did was get suppressed. I was still seething inside, and I knew Esme could tell.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as she pulled out of the school parking lot.

"Not really," I said with an eye roll.

"If I were you, I would lose your attitude," Esme warned. I knew she was just trying to help me, but I really didn't want to talk about it. "You can talk to me whenever you need to."

"I told everyone I didn't want to do this, but I still had to," I finally said, holding off my tears.

"This is needed. You can't hide forever, Sweetie," she said as she pulled up to the house. "But you also can't let your bad day ruin your night."

"I'm already in trouble, so I don't think it really matters," I said, getting out of the car. Esme shook her head as she unlocked the door and let me in.

"Do you need help with anything? I have some time," she offered once she set the code to the alarm. The alarm not only kept people out, but me in, I thought bitterly.

Man, I was in a horrible mood.

"No," I said with too much attitude while tossing my bag at the stairs.

"Isabella, I advise you to be in a better mood before Edward gets home," she said before leaving me alone in the house. I knew she was frustrated with me, and I knew I owed her an apology when she picked me up for school tomorrow morning.

I sat on the stairs and I let my tears fall. I was hoping to get a better night's sleep, and then maybe I wouldn't feel so moody. I let myself cry for a long while. When I finally calmed down, I walked room to room to make sure that everything looked perfect. I made my way to the kitchen and looked for something to make for dinner. I really didn't have a preference, so I threw some French fries and chicken fingers into the oven. Edward walked in the house ten minutes before dinner was done. I was sitting on a barstool, flipping through a business magazine that had been in the living room.

"Hi," he grumbled, throwing his keys on the counter.

"Hi," I sighed without looking up.

"Everything done around here?"

"Yeah."

"Homework done?"

"Yup," I said, still not looking up at him.

"Dinner?"

"Almost done," I said with a sigh.

"Did you talk with your friend more?"

"Yeah," I said as I scolded myself.

"Hmm, thought I said no friends?" he asked, leaning in to me.

"You weren't there. I was by myself! Alice made me feel less alone," I said, moving off my seat.

"You ignored my rules!" he said, raising his voice at me.

"I'm sorry for that, but I needed someone today. Alice took my side while everyone else talked about me," I said, pulling the food out of the oven.

"Is that dinner?" Edward asked.

"Yes, and I know it's not good enough, but I didn't feel like cooking," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I don't feel like doing a lot of things, but I still do them!" he yelled.

"I know and I'm sorry, but you don't know what today was like for me," I said as my eyes filled with tears.

"You don't know what it's like for me," he said through clenched teeth. "I was pulled into my Captain's office and questioned like a criminal. I took all of that bull shit for YOU! Everything I do is for YOU!" he yelled as I cried.

"I'm doing this for YOU!" I yelled right back. "Do you know what's it like to be the center of attention? To have everyone pointing at you and staring? They were so mean, but I didn't say anything because you said not to! Everyone had something to say about me, you, and our marriage. The things they were saying were horrible," I cried as I leaned in to his chest. "They called you a pedophile."

"I know, Baby," he said as I continued to cry. "I almost lost my job today. Parents complained about us. I had to get copies of all of your paperwork to prove that we were legally married. I knew this was going to happen..." he said, trailing off until I looked up at him. "But I also knew that you would be worth it."

"I'm sorry I brought all of this on you. I hate being in such a bad mood. I'm tired and PMSing, and I know you said I need to learn how to deal with it better, but I don't know how," I cried as he held me close to him.

"We'll get through this," he said, shushing me. "You do need a spanking though for the way you talked to me."

"I know," I nodded as I cried. "I'm sorry for everything today."

Edward sighed and brushed his fingers through my hair, offering me physical support.

"You may speak with Alice," he finally said gently, "But only at school. You will never talk or hang out with her outside of school," he said as I hugged him tightly. "No more crappy dinners, either."

"I promise," I said with a giggle.

Dinner was a silly affair as Edward fed me bits of chicken and fries doused in ketchup, just the way I liked them. His disgusted face was priceless, and I couldn't help but laugh at his theatrics. Once the kitchen was cleaned, I met Edward in our bedroom and stripped off my clothes, being sure to keep my panties on before laying myself across his lap willingly. I deserved this, and I was going to take it bravely and without complaint.

He delivered the blows in rapid succession, and when he was done, he lovingly kissed me on the lips.

"I forgive you for your attitude," he said, "but if you ever disrespect me again the way you did tonight, I will shut you in the closet. Do you understand?"

I nodded and wiped at my eyes. "I understand," I whispered.

"Let's go to bed," Edward said. "We both need to unwind after today."

I curled up on Edward's bare chest as he turned the television on softly. I closed my eyes, already beginning to drift off. Tomorrow was going to be better, I promised myself. It had to be.

* * *

Well, you have met Alice! What do you think? We will see you next week!


	17. Chapter 17

Hey everyone! Sorry for the small wait but here is the next chapter! This update is jammed packed so get settled in!

READ! You get to finally know Bella's exact age! After this chapter if this story is not for you it is fine, we understand, but please keep the flams to a minim! If you don't like then just walk away please!

* * *

The rest of the school week dragged by, and come Friday, I was ready to become a high school dropout. If it weren't for Alice, I think I would have begged Edward to reconsider homeschool. As it was, Edward didn't even like the idea of me seeing or talking to Alice.

"You're not there to make friends, Bella," Edward said exasperatedly. "You are there to finish your education."

"I don't even want to finish high school at this point, though," I argued. "Alice is the only reason I'm still even going there! The kids hate me, and the things they say could be considered verbal abuse."

By now I had tears streaming down my face. It wasn't fair.

"Baby," Edward cooed, pulling me in to his arms, "kids can be jerks, and if you're that miserable, then I'm glad you have Alice. But I don't want to see you get hurt over her either. It's just safer to not make friends."

I wiped my nose and nodded my head, even though I was silently disagreeing with him. Alice wouldn't hurt me.

"I wonder when she'll start showing."

"She already has a little bump."

"I heard she went and got an abortion in Seattle."

The whispers and the stares followed me through the hallways until I finally came to my locker where Alice was waiting for me.

"What's the damage today?" I asked her, not caring in the slightest.

"You know, the usual," she grinned. "You're pregnant, but had an abortion, but somehow managed to get pregnant again all within a week."

I nodded my head and slammed my locker shut.

"I am pretty talented," I agreed.

With that, our eyes locked and we burst in to a fit of giggles. We wrapped our arms around each other's waists and made our way to our next class that we shared. Yes, I was indeed glad that I had Alice by my side.

At lunch, I sent Edward my daily check-in message, telling him how much I loved him.

"Want to come over after school?" Alice asked as soon as I had placed my phone down.

I shook my head, already knowing it would be pointless to ask Edward.

"I can't," I said sadly. "I'm helping decorate the house tonight for my birthday dinner tomorrow," I explained.

"Oh yeah! It's your Birthday?" she shrieked.

"Shhhhh!" I whispered, waving my hands to try and get her to keep it down.

I whipped my head around to see that the damage had already been done, though. Everyone was staring at the two of us, and I could feel my face flaming red. I turned back around quickly and shot a glare in Alice's direction.

"Thanks for that," I muttered grumpily.

Alice looked down at the table and stabbed a grape with her fork.

"Sorry," she said, giving me an apologetic look. "But I can't believe my best friend is having a birthday party and didn't invite me!"

"It's just a birthday dinner," I argued. "And it's not a big deal."

"Your first birthday dinner here, though," she countered. "And isn't it your first with your new in-laws?"

I popped a chip in my mouth and chewed contemplatively. She was right. It was the first birthday that I would be celebrating with my husband and in-laws. I couldn't stop the smile that broke across my face.

"You're right; it is a big deal," I said happily. "It's not every day you turn seventeen and get to celebrate with your husband."

Alice laughed and nodded her head. "It certainly isn't."

"So, what time is this party?" she asked.

I shrugged and continued eating as my cell phone vibrated. "Around six," I answered. "We're just having a dinner."

I love you, too. I have a surprise for you after school.

I did a little squeal of my own as Alice leaned over to see what had me so excited.

"Wonder what Officer Cullen has planned for his wife tonight?" Alice joked. "Bet he'll put those handcuffs to use…" she said suggestively.

I blushed and looked back down to my phone. If she only knew that I had no desire to see those handcuffs again. They were not connected with our sex life whatsoever, and I hoped to keep it that way.

I jumped slightly as the bell rang. I was so caught up in what the surprise was that I missed the rest of what she was saying.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked Alice as we stood up with our bags.

"Never mind," she giggled. "I'll leave you alone to your dirty thoughts."

As soon as I was in my next class, I brought out my phone once more, hiding it beneath the desk before class started.

What kind of surprise? I asked.

I was surprised when it vibrated almost immediately with Edward's response.

A good one. You'll know it when you see it, so be ready.

I smiled and couldn't help the playfulness that bubbled up inside me. I knew I would go crazy waiting for him to get home.

Ready how? I asked. Naked and on the bed, ready? Or dressed and by the door, ready?

I had to stifle my laughter behind my hand as my phone vibrated immediately after I hit 'Send.'

You're an evil minx. How about naked and by the door?

However you wish, Mr. Cullen. Would you like me on my knees, or on all fours? I asked, looking up as the teacher took the roll.

How about your back? Now pay attention in Biology, and don't use your phone again in class.

I blushed and put my phone away quickly as the teacher began to pass out a work packet. It shocked me that Edward knew exactly what class I was in, and that I wasn't at lunch any longer. I couldn't get away with anything.

Throughout the rest of the day I could barely manage to sit still. I was excited for whatever my surprise was. I was so caught up in the excitement of it, that the rude and hateful comments about Edward and I that flew around didn't even bother me.

"I'm just so excited!" I exclaimed to Alice as we were finishing dressing at the end of P.E.

"And you have no clue what it could be?" she asked through the bathroom stall.

I shook my head and threw my backpack onto my shoulders. Why she insisted on changing in the stall was beyond me. It seemed to take more time than just changing by the locker.

"Not a clue," I answered, tapping my foot impatiently.

I pulled my hair up off of my neck as she came out before handing Alice her bag.

"Are you coming to say hello to Esme?" I asked her as we made our way out of the gym.

"Of course," she said cheerfully. "I just know I'm growing on her."

I laughed and bumped her hip with mine, our arms wrapped around the other's waist.

"You really are," I agreed with her.

Over the course of a few days, Alice had wormed her way into Esme's heart, as well. Alice would wave to her in the mornings, and then walk me to her car to say hi after school. Esme liked Alice a lot, and was happy that I had her on my side, but we didn't let Edward in on that little detail. It probably wouldn't be a great outcome.

We laughed and danced our way to the front of the school where Esme always met us, only this time, I stopped in my tracks, causing Alice to be jerked back.

"Hey!" she protested. "What's wrong?"

I swallowed nervously and stared straight ahead.

"I think we were wrong about my surprise," I whispered as I untangled our limbs.

Alice's eyes grew wide as she looked to where my husband was standing. My first reaction was that he had never looked more handsome in his faded blue jeans and button down, black, long sleeved shirt. Moisture immediately coated my panties as I took three steps towards him.

My second, and delayed reaction, caused me to stop short when I realized that I was probably in a heap load of trouble.

"You are one lucky girl," Alice muttered, grabbing my arm and forcing me to move my feet forward.

I looked around and noticed that we had drawn our own little crowd, with the students whispering behind their hands.

"Aren't you going to say hello to your husband?" Edward asked, his arms opening.

Laughing at his carefree expression, I threw myself into his arms as Alice giggled behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, peppering kisses all over his face as he lifted me up.

Edward chuckled and set me back down on my feet before giving Alice a small smile. "I'm your surprise."

I laughed and hugged him again before pulling Alice closer so I could introduce them.

"Honey, this is Alice," I said. "Alice, this is my husband, Edward."

"It's nice to meet you, Edward," she said sweetly.

"And you, Alice," Edward said, shaking her hand.

Edward then took my bag in his hand and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"We have to leave now if we're going to make our reservation, but it was nice to meet Bella's friend," Edward said.

Alice made me laugh by blowing me a kiss as we got into the car. I didn't understand when Edward said we had reservations, but I was pretty sure it was just an excuse to leave. I knew he was mad at me, and I really didn't want that.

"So," he started to say as he pulled out of the parking lot, "that's your friend?"

"Yes," I said looking down at my hands.

"You always ruin important days..."

"I won't," I promised, knowing that I may have already broken that promise.

"I'm sure you will," he sneered. "You can never be good for days on end."

"Yes, I can!" I said defensively.

"Oh yeah? Did you not get in trouble just a few days ago? And now you are about to be over my knee again!" he yelled. "The last thing I wanted to do today was spank you."

"I'll be good. I don't even know what I did wrong," I said, pleading with him.

"You don't listen! You don't follow the rules! I said no friends!"

"You said I could talk to her at school," I argued as I started to cry. I was really confused.

"I don't want to see how happy another person makes you. Say it," he said between clenched teeth.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said with a hiccup.

When I realized that he wasn't going to acknowledge me again, I turned in my seat to face forward once more, tears falling freely down my face. I could tell he was mad. His jaw was clenched, and that was one of the signs of just how angry he was. I waited patiently as he parked the car before leading us up to the house.

"I don't think you mean it," he said as he took me by the arm.

"I do! I love you so much and I don't know how else to show how it!" I exclaimed. "Sometimes I don't think you understand just how much I love and need you. I'm lost every day without you. Going to school is so hard, knowing that I am away from you. You are truly the only person I need in my life. If I didn't have you, I would probably go crazy. You are the love of my life. I love you," I said as I attached myself to him as we walked into the bedroom.

As he pried my fingers off of him, I suddenly realized what the issue was. Just telling him of my love for him wasn't enough anymore. He needed to see it. To feel it. To know it. I didn't give him time to talk as I immediately brought myself to his side once more. I knew he needed me. I hadn't given him much husband time since I'd had my period, and that was not okay. I was not doing my wifely duties in keeping my husband happy and satisfied, and for that I knew that I needed to be punished.

"Edward," I whispered brokenly, trying to hold in my tears.

I ran my hands over his chest and brought my fingers to his buttons, slowly undoing each one as I placed gentle kisses over his heart.

"You are all I have," I whispered as the first button opened, revealing a little bit of his chest hair.

"You are all I need," I said as the second button came undone.

"You are my life."

Kiss.

"You are the reason I wake up in the mornings."

I looked down to the last button. Once it was undone, I slowly reached up and placed my hands on his shoulders, moving down his shirt so that he was standing in front of me shirtless. I ran my fingers through his coarse chest hair, using my nails to lightly trail down through his happy trail until it came to rest at the top of his jeans.

"You give me a reason to live," I whispered, standing up on my tiptoes so that I was just below his chin.

I pressed my lips gently to his jaw, using my tongue to feel the stubble that had grown throughout the day. My hands moved on their own accord around his hips and up his back until they came to rest at the nape of his neck. I looked up to his face to see his eyes closed fully, his face completely relaxed. I smiled slightly, knowing that I was the reason for his contentment.

I grazed my lips across his, silently jumping for joy when I felt his lips moved with mine. Not wanting to wait for him to take charge, and not even knowing if he would, I opened my mouth and gently traced his bottom lip with my tongue, begging him for entrance. As his lips parted slowly, I moved my tongue in, tasting him for the first time that day.

I walked him back to the bed, and when he sat down, I climbed onto his lap, straddling his legs. I groaned into his mouth, my hands on either side of his face, holding him to me, afraid that he would pull back at any second.

As our tongues danced together, I felt Edward's hands move to my hips, gripping them tightly in his fingers.

When I needed to breathe, I broke away from him reluctantly. My lips immediately found purchase on his cheek, and then moved to the other one.

"I love only you," I whispered.

I moved up slightly and kissed his closed eyelids.

"I need only you."

I carefully stood up and pushed on Edward's shoulders until he was lying flat on his back on the bed.

"What are you doing, Isabella?" he questioned.

"Taking care of you," I replied simply, leaning down and placing one last chaste kiss to his lips.

"I love you so much, Edward. You are the only man I will ever love. The only man that will ever touch me. The only man I will ever want. I love you," I said as I started to kiss down his chest. I worked my way back up to his mouth wanting his kisses more than anything. "Please," I said against his lips, not really knowing what I was asking for. "I need you."

Suddenly Edward sat up, sweeping me into arms and bringing me onto the bed with him. He locked his arms around me and moved so that I was under him - right where I belonged. When his lips crashed down on mine, my fingers tangled in to his hair. I moaned into his mouth and wrapped my legs around his waist.

"You're mine," he said, holding my face in his hands.

All I could do was stare in to his eyes; I knew I was his.

"These lips are mine," he said, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth.

"These ears are mine." He sucked my ear lobe in his mouth and his hot breath wafted over my ear, sending my body in to a violent shiver.

"This neck is mine," he growled as his teeth ran across my skin.

"Edward, I love you," I moaned.

He was setting my body on fire.

He gripped the bottom of my shirt and pulled it roughly over my head. He moved so fast that I didn't even know he had unhooked my bra.

"These," he said gripping my breasts, "are mine."

His mouth covered one while his other hand massaged the other. I was moaning and falling apart under his hands and mouth. By the time he was done with my breasts, my nipples were as hard as rocks. I had never felt so claimed in my life, and I was sure he wasn't done. He moved to my jeans and his long fingers made quick work of unfastening them. He pulled my jeans and panties down my legs, discarding them on the floor, and then ran his hands up my legs, parting them more at my thighs.

"Say it," he said as his thumb ran over my wet sex.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said shakily.

I pushed myself in to his fingers as he rubbed my clit, but he pulled his hand away too soon. He jumped off the bed to rid himself of his jeans. His member broke free of its confines and stood at attention, lightly hitting his abdomen as he moved. He was so hard that it looked painful. The mushroom head was nearly purple with need, and I wanted to touch him...I needed to touch him.

"You are mine, Isabella. I am the only man you will ever need or have. You belong to me. Every inch of you belongs to me. This," he said cupping my pussy, "is mine."

I gasped as he traced my slit with his finger, feeling the wetness that had gathered there before plunging into me roughly while curling his finger so that he was hitting that one perfect spot to send me over the edge. As I came down from my high, Edward wasted no time in hovering over me and sheathing himself inside me. My back arched off the bed as a strangled cry fell from my lips. As we moved together, everything seemed more intense. With every thrust, kiss, or hand grope, he was making sure I knew who I belonged to.

When he hit that special place inside me, I reassured him of my love. Over and over again. I needed him to know how much I loved him. He was everything to me.

After three more hard thrusts, we laid tangled up in each other. I ran my fingers through his sweaty hair, showering him with love and kisses.

"I love you so much, Edward," I said as my eyes started to close on their own.

"I love you too, Baby," he said as he kissed me.

The kiss was so lovingly sweet, and left no question about his love for me.

"If you can be a good girl, I would like to take you out to dinner," he whispered, running his fingers over my ribcage and up to my breasts.

"I'll be good!" I said excitedly, no longer sleepy.

He chuckled as he moved off of me, reaching down to help me up as well.

"Well, you better get ready then," he said playfully.

The smile on his face told me he was happy with me, and I planned for it to stay that way for the rest of our lives.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Happy Birthday!"

I squealed and jumped back in to my husband as our family members stood around us, smiling widely. I heard Edward laughing behind me, and couldn't stop my own giggles from escaping.

"You scared me," I whispered, clutching my chest.

"You're young and in good health," Carlisle joked, coming up to give me a hug. "You'll live."

"We love you, Bella," Esme said, coming up to me after her husband and wrapping her arms around me.

"All of this is for me?" I asked her, looking around at the decorations.

I had helped with the decorating a little bit the night before, but then earlier today, Edward wanted me to go with him to his work. We ended up being there for a couple of hours until he brought us home. Then we walked into...this.

"A surprise party for our favorite daughter-in-law," Carlisle said, chuckling. "Come in and let's celebrate."

I looked up to Edward to see him smiling down at me before placing a chaste kiss to my lips.

"Happy Birthday," he whispered.

I swallowed back my tears and thanked him as he led us through the room, shaking hands with some of his family and friends that had come.

I smiled politely at our guests and thanked them for coming, giving Rosalie a hug. She was the only other female I recognized besides Esme. The rest were the wives of Edward's coworkers. I noticed that the majority of them gave us tight lipped smiles but said nothing. Then I remembered that Edward said a lot of them disagreed about us getting married because of my age.

I internally rolled my eyes. I was of legal age to give my consent.

Esme brought me over to the dining room table where a beautiful, three tier flower cake was sitting in the middle with seventeen candles lit at the top.

I blushed as everyone followed us, complimenting Esme for her job well done with the cake.

"You made this?" I gasped.

"Of course," she laughed. "I spent most of the last two days on it."

"Thank you," I whispered, giving her a tight hug.

Just then the doorbell rang, and I continued to smile and talk with people as Edward went to let in our next guest. I felt the blood rush my face as Edward led in an excited yet anxious looking Alice. I looked to him in confusion and saw that his jaw was clenched. This was not good.

I was too frozen from shock to even move, and luckily Edward noticed, because he then began to introduce her to the few family members that were in the living room.

"Alice, these are some of our friends and relatives: Emmett and his wife, Rosalie, and the blonde guy is Jasper."

I watched, somewhat in horror and somewhat incredulous, as Alice and Jasper made eye contact. Her own blue eyes widened right along with his, before a dark blush stained her cheeks and she looked to the floor.

Interesting. Very interesting.

At that moment, I finally regained my composure and walked over to her, breaking her out of her Jasper induced haze.

"Alice?" I asked, walking to her and giving her a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"My best friend is having a birthday and you think I wouldn't come to help her celebrate?" she asked, appalled.

Before I could answer, Carlisle stepped in beside us and stuck out his hand. "I'm Isabella's father-in-law," he said kindly. "And you are?"

I saw Alice swallow nervously before she answered, shaking Carlisle's hand.

"I'm Alice," she said softly. "I'm a friend of Bella's from school."

I watched Carlisle's eyes flash as he caught Edward's gaze, sharing a look with him.

"That's very nice that Bella has made a friend," he replied snidely before gesturing for Edward to follow him to the kitchen.

I tried to hide my hysteria at the turn of events my party had suddenly taken. None of this was boding well for me. Before I could throw myself in to a full blow panic attack, Alice rushed from my side and threw her arms around Esme.

"It's so good to see you again, Esme," she said happily.

I couldn't help but giggle at Esme's startled expression before she managed to compose herself and return Alice's hug.

"It's good to see you too, Dear," she chuckled.

At that moment, Carlisle and Edward came out of the kitchen, Carlisle looking even more perturbed than before.

"It looks like she knows more of our family than we knew," Carlisle said as Edward nodded.

I felt tears well up in my eyes at the way they were treating her, yet I knew that I had no one to blame but myself. Alice blushed and looked down, wringing her hands in her lap. Creating a diversion, Esme stepped in and announced it was time to sing so I could blow out my candles.

My only wish for tonight was to make it through without being punished.

As everyone ate cake and made conversation, Alice stuck beside me, looking more and more uncomfortable as the time passed. It probably didn't help that Carlisle and Edward continued to practically glare at her over their beer glasses.

"Bella, it's been fun, but I should probably get home," she said a few minutes later. "I'll see you on Monday."

I walked her out, shooting Edward a pleading look behind her back. After that, the rest of the party dwindled down until it was finally just Edward, Carlisle, Esme, and me.

"Bella, go wait for Edward in the living room," Carlisle instructed. "He'll deal with you in a minute."

"Yes, Sir," I whispered, walking past them quickly.

"Edward, having her friend show up here today was completely disrespectful to you," Carlisle hissed. "She has obviously not learned her place as well as we had hoped."

I saw Edward pinch the bridge of his nose as he nodded his head in agreement. I bit back my sob and fled the room. I flung myself onto the couch and hit the pillow with my fist. Carlisle was constantly filling Edward's head or telling him how he should handle me. He was always getting me in to trouble. Sure, I knew Edward was mad, but after Carlisle was through with him, he would be beyond pissed simply because Carlisle would wind him up.

It wasn't fair. I never even had a chance to explain.

I sobbed in to the abused pillow as I waited to see what kind of punishment Edward would deliver.

"You always manage to ruin special occasions," Edward bit out as he placed himself beside me.

I nodded my head but said nothing in return. He was right; I couldn't do anything right. I couldn't please him. I couldn't follow simple instructions. I couldn't even get pregnant. Before I could register that he had moved, I was thrown over his knees with my dress pulled up and over my hips.

I screamed as his palm connected with my bare backside, and flushed a deep red as I realized that Carlisle and Esme were probably still in the kitchen. I hadn't heard them leave yet.

Edward was ruthless in his spankings, and after fifteen, I thought he would never stop. Tears fell onto the floor as my eyes swelled and my throat became hoarse. After twenty swats, I knew that I wouldn't be sitting comfortably again anytime soon. He was right. I did ruin every special occasion. When he was finally done, he stood me up on my feet in between his knees. I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand, keeping my eyes planted to the floor. I was too ashamed to even look at him. I didn't want to see his disappointment in me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know she had any intentions of showing up," I cried.

"I said to be at-school friends! Why can't you follow any kind of rules?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry. I'm trying so hard, but I keep messing up and I don't know what to do," I whispered.

I moved forward to wrap my arms around him, only to be stopped short as he grabbed my wrists in his hands.

"No," he said, keeping me at arm's length. "You don't get to say you're sorry and then cuddle with me. You made me spank you on your birthday, you invited your friend over without asking, and you seem to break every rule I have for you. Clean this house and meet me in our room. Do not come up those stairs until this house is perfect," he said, turning and walking away from me.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs and cried. I disappointed him again. I was sure I was never going to be good enough. With a deep breath, I started to clean. It took me over three hours, but I was able to get the house looking perfect once again. I was so tired and hoped that we would go right to bed, but I doubted I would be that lucky. Sure enough, as soon as I was in our room, I saw the closet door open. I thought I was going to be sick.

"Edward, I will do anything...I swear it. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it," I begged, falling to my knees at his feet.

"Do you want to be my wife?"

"Yes! More than anything!" I said anxiously.

"Monday, you will end your little friendship with Alice. I don't care what your reasoning is to her as long as it gets done. You are there to learn! How many times do I have to say it? Even when you are at school, you are my wife. You represent me! I'm not putting up with this behavior any longer. Get in the closet," he said, taking me by the upper part of my arms and standing me up.

"I can't go in there! I can't breathe when I'm in there. I'm sorry I was bad again. Please don't make me go in there!" I cried as I tried to cling to him.

His eyes narrowed as he walked me backwards. I tried to keep my feet planted, but he was too strong for me to fight. Before I knew it, the door was shut. I was immediately incased in darkness, and I closed my eyes to try and block it out. My darkness was better than the darkness that was forced upon me. I swallowed back my despair and took deep breaths through my mouth, willing myself to not throw a fit the way I was desperately wanting to. I knew that would just make things worse. My breathing was coming quicker, and I was beginning to feel lightheaded. Knowing that I was about to fall, I quickly placed myself on the floor and curled up in to a ball. I needed to think of anything other than being in the closet...

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Bella," Edward said as I opened my eyes.

I blinked at him before looking around. Suddenly I remembered that I was in the closet. Did I pass out? I felt disoriented.

"You did well," Edward praised with a smile.

"Can I get out?" I asked as I struggled to move towards him.

"Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said as my hand touched his. "I'm sorry. I'll be a good girl. I'll end the friendship with Alice; I'll never speak to anyone ever again. I'll be the wife you need me to be. I'll never make a crappy dinner, or disobey you again," I said as my eyes filled with tears.

"Baby, don't make promises you can't keep," he said, brushing my tears away. "You can come out, now."

I didn't need to be told twice. I scrambled out of the closet and into his arms, ignoring my protesting muscles. I clung to him as he began to undress me. The only time we weren't connected was when he pulled my dress off. I held him tightly and kissed his bare chest. Once we were in bed, I made sure he went to sleep the happiest husband in the world.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

"Stop avoiding me...please," Alice begged.

I didn't stop my trek through the hallway as I heard her feet running to catch up with me.

"Bella!" she called desperately, grabbing onto my arm and turning me around to face her.

I felt the tears slip from my eyes as I looked at her crestfallen face.

"Let's talk in private," I whispered, leading her to the cafeteria.

It wasn't the best solution, but with the noise levels, I knew that we wouldn't be overheard. I hadn't spoken to her in days and I felt horrible, but I didn't have any other choice. I guess in a way, I was just trying to hold off the inevitable.

After spending however many hours in the closet, I knew that I couldn't be friends with Alice any more. I was Edward's wife. I didn't need to have any friends. All I needed was for Edward to be happy.

"I'm sorry," I croaked, looking at the lunch table. "But we can't be friends anymore."

I heard Alice gasp and felt her grab my hand tightly in hers. "Please don't say that. You are the only friend I've had since I moved here. What was up with your family?" she asked as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Alice, I was pressing my luck by talking with you at school. I'm sorry," I said blinking tears away.

"You are my only friend. If we can only talk at school, that's okay. I promise to never show up at your house again. I just wanted to bring you a present. I am so sorry," she said, letting tears fall from her eyes.

I looked up and smiled at her sadly.

"Thank you for the book, by the way. I'm sorry for everything," I said, not responding to her other request.

Talking with her only at school was better than never getting to talk to her at all. And right now, I would take what I could get.

"Um...I'm very scared to be around men," Alice said suddenly. "My life has been shitty, but it's better now. I almost feel normal again, and having you as a friend really helps me. I feel less alone."

I curled my fingers around hers and squeezed her hand in understanding. She was opening up to me, and I knew that this was her way of showing me that she trusted me, and that I could trust her just the same.

"I want to be your friend, but Edward says I can't," I admitted out loud. "I'm married, so that means I don't need friends."

Alice shook her head quickly, disagreeing with what I just said. "Everyone needs friends," she countered. "And what Edward doesn't know won't hurt him."

She shot me an evil grin, and I couldn't help but giggle in response. I wasn't sure about needing a friend...but I sure liked having one.

"I'm not saying you should lie to him...okay, I am, but I don't want to go back to being alone," she admitted.

"If you told me stuff, I wouldn't tell anyone," I promised her, letting her know that our arrangement was fine with me. She knew I didn't really want to stop being friends with her in the first place.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "The same goes for me. I would never tell anyone anything you said."

I nodded and gently extracted my hand from hers so I could pick up my sandwich. I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell Alice anything about my life with my husband, but I was curious about her.

"How did you and Edward meet?" she asked as I smiled.

"He was out of town at a convention. We met and couldn't bear to be apart, and the rest is history," I said.

"How sweet! Where did you live before here?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but I didn't say anything right away. Edward had asked me this before, and when I had answered, he didn't seem happy about it. He said that my past didn't matter…

"I don't really want to talk about that yet," I said, hoping that she would drop it.

"That's fine, I have things I wouldn't want to talk about now, either," she said, making me feel better.

"So who is Jasper?" Alice asked as I grinned at her mischievously.

"He's Edward's cousin...why?"

"When I'm around men I get really nervous, but I didn't feel nervous around him at all. That was the first time I had ever felt at ease around a man...I don't know," she said blushing. "I don't know."

"I haven't really talked to him or anything, so I wouldn't know. Edward doesn't like me talking with other guys," I said with a shrug.

"Is he very protective of you?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm sorry I can't be friends with you outside of school."

"It's okay; this is better than nothing," she said, sounding so sure of herself.

"Why do you change in the bathroom during gym?" I asked suddenly before biting my tongue.

That probably wasn't something she wanted to talk about.

"I have scars, and the last thing I need is to have people start talking about me," she whispered.

"I understand that more than you probably know," I said. "Were you in an accident?"

She shook her head, and her eyes zoned out as she saw things that I couldn't.

"No, my father used to whip me if I said no to him," she said quietly.

She blinked as she shook her head and gave me a brave smile. I wanted to ask more, but she didn't seem to want to talk about it. I was okay with that. We had two years to get to know each other, I hoped.

The rest of the day flew by as Alice and I began to further our friendship. If all we could get was time at school, then we weren't going to waste a moment of it. After gym, instead of walking together outside, we went our separate ways so that Esme didn't see us. I knew that she probably wouldn't say anything, but I didn't want to put her in that position. That wouldn't be fair to her. I was about halfway through the grass when I saw Edward leaning against his car door. He was still in his uniform, and his belt that carried his gun and cuffs was attached at his hip.

I smiled widely at him and waved when I was suddenly thrown to the ground. I grunted as my body collided with the grass, tingles shooting throughout my arm. My left side erupted in pain and I squeezed my eyes shut as the sound of thundering feet ran past.

"You're such a fucking douche!"

My eyes popped open, and I sat up as I saw two boys from my year shoving one another, not caring about whoever was in their way. Kids immediately surrounded the area, chanting out various war cries and egging the two Neanderthals on. I rolled my eyes and got to my feet just as two things happened. Edward stepped up in full cop mode as he began to separate the two boys, but not before one managed to throw a punch right in to the other boy's jaw. The sound of flesh hitting flesh stopped me dead in my tracks. Suddenly, I wasn't in the school yard anymore, I was looking at a man. A man that had a mustache, whose eyes were dark and evil. His face was blurry, but I could clearly make out those two features.

"You worthless piece of shit!" he bellowed, his fist rising right before it collided with the side of my face.

I grabbed my cheek as my focus returned to the present and what was in front of me. I could almost feel where that man's fist had made contact.

Was that a memory or a dream?

That man was my father...I think...

I looked up to see that the crowd had dispersed, leaving only Edward, the boys, and the Principal. Both Edward and Mr. Banner looked livid while the boys were shooting one another glares.

"Is there any reason why you felt the need to knock my wife to the ground?" Edward bit out, holding the one boy by the scruff of his neck.

The boy's eyes widened as he began to stutter out his apologies to me, but I didn't care about that. I was still in shock, and my arm was hurting badly. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

"You're lucky we won't be pressing charges," Edward snapped, letting him go as he stumbled to right himself. "Gerard, I trust that this will be handled accordingly?" Edward asked.

Mr. Banner nodded and gestured for the boys to go back into the school. "Yes, Officer Cullen," he answered.

I stared as the rest of the party walked back inside the building, not even registering the other students still lingering around, waiting to see what Edward and I would do.

I gazed up at my husband as he took my face gently in his hands, bending down to place a soft kiss to my lips.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking me over for any signs of broken skin.

I whimpered and shook my head. "My arm," I whispered painfully. "I fell on it."

Edward immediately took my arm in his hands and shook his head as he moved it in different directions. "It's not broken, but I think you might be a little sore. I'll have my father look at it when we get home to make sure."

I nodded along with him, not really paying attention.

Who was that man, and why did my mind tell me that I knew him somehow?

Edward snapped his jaw closed and glared out over my head. He pulled me into his body and crushed me to him, holding tightly as if he was afraid I was going to disappear. I looked up as he lifted my chin. His eyes were narrowed in anger and his lips were pursed.

"Fuck," he whispered, pulling me back to him. "What's going on inside that head of yours?" he asked.

"W-what?"

"I saw your face when those two assholes fought. You were thinking about something," he explained.

I shook my head and clung to the back of his shirt. "I don't know who he was," I whispered, afraid of his reaction. "His face was blurry. I could only make out a mustache and his dark, brown eyes. He was angry. He...he hit me," I cried. I was lying, but I didn't want to be put in the closet for having a thought about my father. I knew who he was, but I didn't want to hurt my husband's feelings.

Not able to hold back any longer, my tears finally fell. Edward reached between us and cupped my jaw in his hand as if he knew what side of my jaw it was that felt the imaginary pain.

"You never did have a stomach for physical violence," he muttered.

I shook my head, not really paying attention. It was too much. Everything felt so real. When they were hitting each other, I swear I felt the hit. I was so confused. Edward never hit me in the face...I knew the memory was from before with my father.

"Who was it?" I asked as Edward slipped me into the car. If Edward brought up my father, then I knew he wouldn't be as mad. I also knew that I couldn't just come out and say his name.

I wiped away the remainder of my tears as Edward shook his head and shut my door. I looked into my lap as he climbed in on his side and started the car, peeling out of the parking lot.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

"What?" I gasped. "Love who?"

"The man with the mustache," he clarified. "Do you love him? Is he a teacher?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed. "I don't even know if he was a real person."

"Does your imaginary friend keep a roof over your head?" he growled. "Does he keep you satisfied? Does he take care of you?"

"N-no," I whispered, hating where this was going.

"Then why do you care who he is?" he asked angrily.

I blinked and looked out the window as another tear fell down my cheek. Why did I care?

"Did you end your friendship with Alice?" Edward asked suddenly.

"Yes," I said, probably too quickly.

We both lapsed in to silence as the scenery passed us by.

"Where's Esme?" I asked as an afterthought.

"She won't be around for a few days," he said as my stomach sank.

"That's my fault, isn't it?"

"Yes; that's what happens when you only think of yourself," he said as my eyes filled with tears. "Life isn't all about you, Bella. You need to think of others before you break the rules. Every day it is something new with you. I'm getting sick of it!" he yelled, making me jump. "I want the house spotless, your homework done, and dinner on the table at six."

"I understand," I said, still not looking at him.

I hated to see the disappointment on his face.

We drove all the way home without saying another word. When we arrived at the house, he led me inside, but before he could walk out the door, I hugged him tightly. Between the fight at school and knowing that I got Esme in trouble, I just needed to be held for a moment.

"I love you," I said, looking up to him for the first time.

I gasped in surprise as he suddenly leaned forward and picked me up under my arms. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist as his hands clamped down on my bottom to support me. His mouth found mine and I surrendered more than willingly to his kiss. I moaned in pleasure as his tongue tangled with him. Too soon, though, he pulled away, leaving us both gasping for breath.

"I love you, too," he said. "I'll see you at six."

* * *

Okay who's still with us? Hope most of you liked it! See you next week!


	18. Chapter 18

"Ungrateful bitch."

"Useless waste of space."

"Just like your mother."

I cowered in fear as his hand connected with the side of my head.

"Stop! Please!" I cried.

I sat up in bed, gasping for breath as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Again?" Edward whispered from beside me.

I didn't look at him. I couldn't. I just nodded my head.

"It's always the same," I whispered.

Edward sighed and stood up from the bed. "You know what to do."

I cried and nodded my head as I stood up too and walked to the edge of the bed where he had taken his seat. I placed myself over his lap and waited. He didn't waste any time as he delivered the blows that would hopefully make me forget about the man in my dreams.

"Say it," Edward hissed.

I winced at the pain. "You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I grit out.

More spankings then I could count later, I was finally standing in front of him, repeating my phrase to him over and over again.

"Who loves you?" he asked.

"You do."

"Who takes care of you?"

"You do."

"Who should matter the most to you in the world?" he asked.

"You should, and you do."

"You really hurt my heart every time you have these dreams, Bella," he sighed sadly. "It makes me feel like you don't really want to be here with me. You begged me to take you away from your abusive past. All I asked from you in return was your loyalty, and for you to forget about your past and move on from the hurt. I wanted to show you a good life. I wanted to give you the world. And yet, you don't appreciate it," he whispered.

I openly sobbed hearing him say that, and threw myself into his arms. He was right. I was a completely selfish jerk. Here he was, giving me the best life imaginable, and I had to throw my past in his face.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I need help, though. I can't control what my mind comes up with when I sleep."

"I know," he said gently, running his fingers through my hair. "If these dreams come up, you need to push them from your mind. You need to replace that man with me, and my loving touches. Think of the way my fingers feel on you and inside of you. Think of me moving in and out of you. Think of how good it feels when we are connected together as one person. Think of me."

I nodded and wiped my eyes dry, smiling at his advice.

"That sounds like the perfect solution," I agreed.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

The next three months following that episode were awful. I was crying all the time, I was doing everything wrong, and Edward was never happy. I was also sure I was going crazy. My dreams continued to be filled with a man I didn't want to know anymore. I took Edward's advice on how to push Charlie from my mind, and concentrated on my husband and our more intimate moments, it would work for a while, but when I slept, all bets were off.

"I'm so sick of hearing you talk about him, and I'm really getting pissed. I can't spank you again for the fact that your ass is still red from the last time!" Edward yelled at the breakfast table one morning.

I had admitted to him that the dreams were becoming more frequent, and that nothing seemed to help any longer.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me," I cried.

"I get it, Bella. I fucking get it. You love him more than me! You dream about him and not about me. I'm done. Bring it up again, and you will be in the closet with a burning ass," he said through his teeth. He even slammed his hand down on the table to make his point known. "Let's go."

I got up to follow him but I wasn't quick enough, so he grabbed my wrist to pull me along with him. I sobbed openly as he dragged me up the stairs.

"I'm sorry!" I cried, tugging my wrist frantically, willing him to let me go.

I flinched as he threw open the bedroom door, causing it to crash into the wall. As soon as we entered our room, a feeling of dread came over me and I knew what was going to happen. It had been months since I was put in the closet, and I knew it was coming. It seemed like every time I went a long period of time without going into the closet, I always freaked out more when it finally happened again. I would cry, beg, and scream - all to no avail. And this time would be no different.

"Stop fighting me and get in there," he growled angrily.

I had myself wrapped around his ankles and I wasn't letting go. His hand came down on my ass, spanking me hard three times. My bottom was so sore from getting spanked. I let go of his ankle to rub the sting out, and he took advantage and was able to get me in. After the initial freak out, I managed to calm down slightly. I willed myself to sleep or pass out, but neither happened.

That day, he left me in there for two horrible hours. After that, the dreams of Charlie subsided, and I learned better than to confide in him when they did pop up unexpectedly.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Are you ready for that Biology project?" Alice asked as we made our way to the front doors of the school.

I grimaced and shook my head, dodging the bodies that were blocking the doorway.

"Not in the slightest," I admitted. "It'll be easy; I just hate working in group settings."

Alice patted my shoulder comfortingly and laughed. "Agreed. Well, at least it's only for a week."

We gave each other quick hugs and then at the door, went our separate ways. I watched her as she walked off, heading towards a woman with light brown, shoulder-length hair. Her car was getting a tune- up so her foster mom was picking her up today before they went off to a neighboring town to go shopping. I felt like an intruder as I stood there and stared as they hugged one another before Alice kissed her cheek. Linking their arms, they walked the rest of the way to the car together, like they were best friends rather than parent and child. A feeling coursed through my veins and caused me shudder, but I couldn't place it. Was it jealousy? Over my friend? Seeing them together triggered something, but I wasn't sure what it was. I was in a Chinese garden with a woman. The place was so beautiful; I felt happy. It was too real to be a fantasy, and instinctively, I knew I had been to this place before. The woman made me feel safe.

"Baby, what are you looking at?" Edward asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I jumped and smiled, trying not to look too guilty as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Hey, how was your day?" I questioned.

"It was good. What were you thinking about so hard?"

"Honestly, I think I can remember a little about my mother," I said happily as he closed his eyes.

His face went from happy to furious in a matter of seconds.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Get in the car," he hissed, walking away from me.

I sighed, knowing that I had screwed up once again. I really needed to learn to just keep my mouth shut. As Edward drove us home, his hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. The ride home was tense to say the least. He wasn't speaking to me, and I could tell that he was thinking hard, probably about how to punish me. I sighed inaudibly and looked out the window at the passing scenery. I was sick of being punished, and I couldn't seem to do anything right. Once we were home, we went straight to the bedroom. My tears were falling before we were even up the stairs.

"Why are you crying?" Edward asked softly, closing the door behind me.

I hastily wiped away the tears that had fallen while looking at the floor. "I don't want to go into the closet," I whispered. "I seem to do something wrong every day. I just want to be good and make you happy, but I can't seem to do it. I'm sorry for making you so unhappy," I cried.

I put my face in my hands and sobbed, my emotions completely out of control. I closed my eyes as Edward lifted my face up. I could feel his intense stare burning holes into the backs of my eyelids. I gasped in surprise when I felt his lips on mine, his tongue immediately seeking out my own. Without hesitating, I kissed him back, trying to show him how much I wanted to please him.

"Mmm...let me ask you something," he said after sucking on my bottom lip. "Who is the only person in this world that loves you?"

"You," I whispered as he unbuttoned my shirt slowly.

"Who is the only person that will ever care about you?"

"You," I said, breathing shakily.

He pulled my shirt down off my shoulders and he wrapped it around my hands, making it so that my hands were pinned behind my back. My breasts were pushed out like an offering to him, my nipples pebbling beneath the fabric of my bra. It made me nervous to be restricted, but I knew I messed up, so I would take my punishment without complaint or resistance.

"Who makes sure you have everything you need?" he asked, unsnapping the front clasp to my bra.

"You," I said again.

"Me?" he asked.

I cocked my head to the side, not understanding him.

"Yes. You are my life," I said as he walked us back to the bed.

"Who makes love to you?" he whispered, his lips ghosting over my own.

"You," I said with a smile as he laid me down.

It was uncomfortable with my hands behind my back, but I didn't complain.

"That's what I don't understand," he said as he unbuttoned my jeans. "I'm the only person in your life, and yet you can't stop talking about others. It makes me feel like I can't do my job as your husband."

I sucked in my breath, shame flooding my face. That hit a nerve. I never wanted him to feel that way.

"I'm sorry. I never, ever meant to make you feel that way," I said as tears pricked my eyes.

"You do not get to cry," he growled.

I blinked back my tears, knowing that all I could do was nod my head and swallow the lump in my throat. He nodded once before pulling my panties down my legs, and then kissing his way back up.

"Do I take good care of you?" he asked, as if he was unsure of his abilities to care for me.

"Oh god, yes, Edward! I love you so much. Only you could take care of me the way I need. I love you," I said as I tried to free my hands.

I needed to touch him.

"You want to touch me," he commented as I bit my lip. "Well, I want you to only think of me, but that hasn't been happening."

"I'm sorry. I will never do it again. I love you."

"I love you, too, Baby, but I don't think you love me the way I love you."

"I do. I swear I do. I would die without you. You are the only person I will ever think about," I said as I freed my hands. I just wanted to touch him. I pulled at the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head. I needed to feel his skin on mine. I pulled at the button of his pants and worked them down his hips.

"Never again do I want to hear you speak of another person. Do you understand?"

"I understand," I whispered, my hands running over the muscles in his back.

"If you do, I will never touch you again," he whispered in my ear as he pressed his weight into me.

"I never want that to happen," I whispered as his lips ghosted over mine.

He pushed my legs further apart before he thrust into me to the hilt. I arched my back, driving him even deeper, and loving the feel of him inside me. I craved the feel of his rough grip on my thighs, and I loved the feel of his lips against mine. I loved the sounds that my body brought out of him. I just loved everything about him. I knew as he made slow, sweet love to me, that I was going to make sure I kept those other people out of my mind.

For the next little while, I made good on that promise. Things got better for a short time, and our routine became second nature for me. Between cooking, cleaning, caring for Edward, and the end of the semester finals approaching, I hardly had enough time to breathe, much less think. My afternoons, when I got out of school, were spent cleaning and studying, and Edward was really great about bringing us home dinner so that I could focus more on my homework.

But suddenly, things seemed to go downhill for no apparent reason. Well, none that I knew of, anyway. His demands of me were becoming more and more intense, and he was pushing me to my breaking point. That might have been his plan, but I don't know. I just knew that I was going crazy trying to meet his ridiculous demands and follow all of his senseless rules. He would tell me to do one thing, and then once I started that task, he would demand I do something else. It was all so confusing and frustrating.

"I'm not going to have to tell you to do dishes, am I?"

I gasped and turned around to see Edward standing in our doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. I shook my head no and looked back at the few clothes left in front of me.

"Nope, I'm…" I said with a pause as I folded the last pair of boxer briefs. "I'm doing it now." I stood up and carried the basket to the bottom of the stairs.

"I think I'm finally getting the hang of everything now," I said as he followed me.

"If you say so," he retorted.

I frowned and closed my eyes for a split second so I wouldn't say something rude to him. Instead, I headed into the kitchen and started to clean. I unloaded the dishwasher before reloading it with dirty dishes. I was in the middle of wiping down the counters when Edward walked in, holding his penis that was hanging out of his pants.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a giggle.

"I'm hard," he said stroking himself.

"I'm almost done and then I'm all yours," I said as I wiped down the rest of the counters.

"Bella, are you telling me no? I thought you said that all I ever had to do was ask?" he said.

I bit my lip as I held back my laugh. I did say such a thing, but I never thought he would come to me when I was doing my chores.

"All I want is a blow job."

I giggled a little before getting to my knees. I took him in my mouth and sucked around the mushroom head, licking off the pre cum that had gathered there. He moaned as I sucked him in deeper, his fingers finding refuge in my hair. Figuring that this would be quick since we hadn't been intimate in a couple of days, I didn't protest when my knees dug into the tile. Instead, I focused my energy on pleasing him by swirling my tongue in exactly the perfect way that I knew he couldn't resist. After what felt like thirty minutes without him cumming, my knees were protesting loudly and I felt like they would be stuck in this position forever. Right when I felt like I couldn't take it any longer, Edward moaned and twitched suddenly, spilling his seed into my mouth. He grabbed my head, pulling me closer so that his cock hit the back of my throat, twitching even more. I swallowed frantically to avoid wasting even a drop, and breathed in relief as he let me go.

"Very nice," he said as he put himself back in his pants. "You have five minutes to finish your chores."

I blinked in surprise at his abruptness and stood gingerly to my feet. "Edward..." I said hesitantly.

"Problem?"

"May I have more time?"

"No; get it done or get a spanking," he said as I glared at him.

I didn't mean to glare, but he was setting me up to fail and we both knew it.

"But..."

"No buts, Baby. It will just get worse once we have a child," he said as he walked away from me.

That was the first of many tests he gave me. At first I thought he was being cute, but in reality, he was just being a jerk.

The rest of the week passed uneventfully, and I was looking forward to winter break. School was fine, but I really wanted to relax. As I was getting ready for my last day of classes, Edward met me at the door, holding my backpack in his hands for me. I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek as he led me to his car. He had taken some time off of work for the holidays, so he was bringing me to school instead of Esme.

"I want you to get Alice's phone number," he said as he started the car.

I rubbed my gloved hands together, trying to get some friction between my hands to keep them warm. It was ridiculously cold, even for November.

"What for?" I asked him, shocked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said mockingly. "Do I need to inform you of every little thing I do?"

I playfully glared at him, hoping to keep the mood light. I didn't want to piss him off this early in the morning.

"No," I said. "I was just wondering why the sudden change of heart."

Edward chuckled darkly as he parked the car in front of the school.

"This is not a change of heart, Isabella," he informed me. "You are still not allowed to be friends with that girl or talk to her outside of school, but it seems that she has caught Jasper's eye and he would like the chance to get to know her better."

I smiled internally, knowing that Alice's behavior at my party suggested the same thing about Jasper. He definitely caught her eye.

"Okay," I said simply.

If she and Jasper got together, that meant that I would get to see her more often and actually develop a friendship with her outside of school. I felt relief for the fact that Alice and I could stop pretending that we weren't friends. I looked off to the school as the first bell rang and sighed. As it was, I was about to go almost a week without contact with her, and I was missing her already.

"I'll see you soon, Baby," Edward whispered, leaning over and pressing his lips gently to mine.

"Love you," I replied, opening the door and shivering as the biting wind cut through the car.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"You know," I said, biting into my sandwich. "A little birdie told me that Jasper Whitlock has his eye on you," I told Alice.

I froze as Alice dropped her fork, her mouth gaping open like a fish out of water.

"Is that a problem?" I asked her, shaking her shoulder to snap her out of whatever it was she was thinking.

"N-no," she mumbled, picking her fork back up. "I just don't think that's a smart idea."

"Why?" I questioned. "It's obvious from the party that you had your eyes on him, as well."

"Being attracted to a man is one thing, but knowing that he reciprocates those feelings is another," she replied.

I put down my sandwich so that I could focus on my best friend. Something wasn't adding up, and I would be damned if I let this opportunity pass me by to earn her friendship outside of school.

"What's the big deal about getting to know Jasper a little better?" I asked gently.

I knew that something else was up, I just didn't know what, and I didn't want to push a subject that was uncomfortable for her. Over the last couple of months, she had slowly opened up to me about her home life before her adoption, and I felt like we became closer and closer the more we shared with one another.

"You don't have to tell me. I'm just curious is all," I said, biting my lip.

"My dad hated me," she sighed, looking out the window.

"I know that feeling," I said.

"I never did anything right, and it seemed like everything I did made him mad. I was afraid of the dark and scared to be alone...I still am. Well, I was home alone one night, and I had the hall light on. I thought I would hear him pull in, but I was too engrossed in my homework. He came in screaming at me. When he undid his belt, I knew what was coming. He grabbed me by the hair and slammed my head on the table. When he beat me, it was never in just one place. He would just swing his belt, hitting me wherever he could. He'd hit my face, back, stomach, legs, and ass, and has even hit my vagina before. I was his kid, so he could do whatever he wanted," she said with a shrug.

"Was he a drunk?"

"No. He was meaner when he was sober. Although, I would rather him be sober than drunk. When he was drunk, he was handsy. I thought there was something wrong with me, because at one point, I started to like it when he touched me. My therapist said that that was a normal reaction because he was always so mean. Whenever someone is nice to me, I tend to cling to them," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

I moved my chair so that we were sitting side by side, and grabbed her hands in mine.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about," I told her. "You're a beautiful person inside and out. Is this why you don't want to move forward with Jasper?" I asked.

Anyone who had to go through that kind of abuse would of course be scared of men after that. I didn't blame her for her fears.

"Yes," she admitted. "I'm terrified of pretty much all men except for my adopted Father, and even then, it took him years to fully earn my trust."

I nodded but couldn't help my tiny smile. "Except something about that sexy man just drags you in, huh?" I teased.

Alice laughed and nodded along. "Yes, but I just don't know how ready I am."

"Why don't you start off slow?" I asked. "Maybe with texting or phone calls at first, until you can build some trust between you?"

Alice shrugged and turned towards the window, her eyes troubled.

"He would never hit me, right?"

I froze for a moment and wondered if Jasper was like Edward. Did I want to bring my friend into that kind of relationship, where she could get put in a closet for doing something bad? Or getting spanked as a punishment? These things were normal for me now, but for her, I had a feeling it would push her over the edge and I would lose my best friend forever.

"Um...I don't know," I admitted, looking down.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked as I nodded.

"We talk about me a lot, but we never talk about you," she said as my face paled.

I had yet to tell her about myself.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

It was only fair that I tell her about me.

"Does Edward abuse you?"

I blinked in shock for a moment before chuckling. "No. He disciplines me, but he doesn't abuse me," I said.

"You don't have to tell me, but how?"

"He spanks me...um, and he yells at me if I've been bad. Um...sometimes I have to go in the closet, but I'm better at being good now so it's not as often," I said with a smile.

I wasn't sure how much to tell her, but I couldn't stop myself once I started.

"Bella...that's abuse," she said nervously.

"Abuse is what happened to you," I countered. "Edward saved me," I said as Alice nodded.

"Where did you move from?"

"Portland," I said. It was the first thing that came to mind.

"You lived with your parents?"

"My father," I said, rubbing the front of my head. "Look, we don't have enough time today to talk, but I do understand the beatings you endured. I don't like to remember much before Edward, because he's my whole life now. Anyway, do you want Jasper to have your number?"

She looked so unsure, and I understood why; she had been through a lot.

"Well, texting would be easier," she said as she wrote down her number. "I would really like to get to know him." Her smile grew, and I couldn't help smiling back. "How old is he?"

"I don't know," I said with a laugh. "I could ask Edward."

"Yes, please," she said with a laugh.

I texted Edward, like I did every day at lunch, but threw my question in there.

"He's twenty-five," I told her as she smiled.

"Okay, I want to talk to him."

"Will your parents be upset about the age difference?" I asked.

"No, I'm eighteen; as long as I'm safe, they won't care," she said as my eyes grew.

I didn't know she was older than me.

"I missed too much school my freshmen year, so I fell behind a year," she said, clearing up my confusion.

"How were you saved?" I asked.

"During one of my beatings, my dad busted a few ribs. I went to school, because if I didn't, that would make things worse. Because of the broken ribs, I ended up puncturing a lung while I was at school. I collapsed and was rushed to the Emergency Room. Of course, questions were asked that not even I could lie my way out of. After that, I met my foster parents, and my faith was regained that there were good people in this world," she said with a smile.

"I'm glad you were saved," I said, placing my hand on top of hers. "I'm going to miss you this week."

"Me, too. I wish we could talk on the phone," she said, spinning her cell around on the table top.

"I know. Edward is going to be home all week, though. Esme will be busy with getting dinner ready, but maybe I will be able to go and help her," I said with a shrug.

Later that night while Edward and I were eating dinner, I gave him Alice's number.

"She said he could text her, but she doesn't think she could talk to him right away," I told him as I took the bite of food he was offering me.

"Why?" he asked before putting food in his mouth.

"Her father was horrible to her. Just like mine was to me. She was saved, but she is still scared of men. She doesn't think she could talk to him right away," I said as I waited for more food.

"So you talked with her today?" he asked, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, yeah; you said I could," I said as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Did I?" he asked as I frowned at him.

"You said to ask for her number, so I did. She started talking to me, I couldn't be rude," I said, raising my voice slightly.

"You do nothing I ask," he said, wiping his mouth with his napkin before throwing it down onto the table.

"What did you want me to do? I asked for her number and she got nervous. I know I'm never going to do anything right, but you need to figure out what you want from me!" I yelled as he raised his eyebrows at me.

"I want you to do as I ask. When you start doing that, then you will be doing things right," he said, showing his anger.

"I do everything you ask of me! You make me crazy! Every day before you come home, I run around here like crazy, hoping that the house is good enough, but it never is! You find the smallest thing wrong, and then you punish me. You asked me if I would get Alice's number, and I did. So what if she talked me? I don't get what your problem is!" I half yelled, standing from my chair.

I intended to walk away before I got myself in trouble, but I knew it was already too late.

"I don't know who you think you are Little Girl," he said grabbing a hold of my arm as I tried to walk away.

"I love you, but you're driving me nuts. I do everything for you, but it's like you want me to mess up. I try so hard. Every day I try to be the wife you want. Every day I try to make you happy, and for some reason I can't do it. If you tell me to do something, I do it! Please, Edward; I can't take much more. You told me to ask Alice, but what kind of person would I have been if I had just walked away while she was talking? She was scared, but she wanted to get to know Jasper. I'm sorry for upsetting you, but you have to give me a break on something," I said through the tears that were falling rapidly.

"I'm the only person that you have to worry or care about. The only way you will ever get to know Alice is if she and Jasper start dating. Get the idea of being friends with her out of your head. Me, Bella! I'm the only person in this world that you have to worry or care about it, do you understand me?" he asked, shaking me a bit.

"I do understand, but you confuse me. You have to say what you mean, and mean what you say. If you don't, I'm going to mess up. I mess up enough on my own without you making me."

"You need to change your tone with me right now."

"I'm sorry," I cried as he pulled me into his body. "I try so hard, Edward. I try so hard for you."

Without answering me, Edward pulled me over his lap after removing my pants and panties, and gave me fifteen swift spankings to my bottom. I clung to his leg as I cried out with each one. I knew I deserved the punishment, but I just felt so overwhelmed with everything. I didn't know right from wrong with him anymore.

"Do you understand now, Baby?" he asked.

"Yes, Edward," I whispered. "I only need to be concerned about you and any children that we might have. Not with having friends or anyone outside of our family."

"Good girl," he said, kissing my forehead. "Go wash your face and then clean up the dinner dishes. We'll go to bed afterwards."

After our little fight, things were better for a few days. Those were the days that I really enjoyed. Those were the days that Edward said I did well. Those were the days when he kissed me and called me his good girl. I felt like I was a good wife on those days. I was taking care of my husband and our home, and I loved it. Even leading up to Thanksgiving Day was great...until the day itself.

I was working alongside Esme when I needed to use the bathroom. I was headed down the hall when I heard Edward speaking to his father. He sounded so sad, and I needed to know why. I knew eavesdropping was wrong, but I had to know.

"I think she should have a physical done," Edward said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Surely she should have been pregnant by now."

I dropped my gaze to the floor and blinked away my tears. He was right. With as much as we've been all over one another, I definitely should have been pregnant by now. But why wasn't I? Was there something wrong with me? Would he want to get rid of me if I couldn't give him children?

"Edward, Son," Carlisle said gently. "You have only been married for three months. For most couples, it can take up to six months to become pregnant."

"I know," Edward sighed. I knew he wanted a baby, but hearing how sad he was broke my heart. "I just feel like maybe she should be checked out."

I saw Carlisle sit back in his chair and pressed his fingers together. I knew I was chancing it by looking, but I was hoping to see Edward's face.

"And you already have it worked out if she were to become pregnant?" he asked. "Juggling parenthood on top of school is a big responsibility."

I bit my lip in anxiety because I knew Carlisle was right. How could I go to school for seven hours a day and leave my baby with someone else? How would I survive that? The baby would be my responsibility. My child. Why would I want someone else to raise him or her?

"We can adjust as needed when the time comes," Edward said. "Right now, I just want her checked out to make sure she's alright."

"She's your wife; only you know what she needs, but I think you should wait a few more months," Carlisle said. Maybe I did need to get checked out.

"I just really want a child. I know we have a lot of time, but I'm so ready," he said as I headed away from the door. I couldn't stand to listen to the sadness in his voice. I felt like a failure.

I was quiet all through dinner. I just felt like I was never going to make Edward fully happy. Of course, my silence didn't go unnoticed. Once we were home, I thought about talking to him, but I didn't want to get punished. It was our first holiday together; it should have been amazing, but it wasn't that great. My mind was only focused on not giving Edward a baby.

"Baby, are you okay?" he asked as we cuddled up in bed.

"No," I croaked. I couldn't stop the tears even though I tried. "Please don't be mad, but I did something I shouldn't have."

"Come on, Bella," he said with a groan. I knew I had ruined another special day.

"I'm so sorry," I said as he sat up.

"Tell me what you did."

"I was going to the bathroom and I overheard you and your dad talking. I'm sorry I can't give you a child," I cried. "I'll go to the doctor if you want me to."

"Bella, I do want a child, but these things take time. If you aren't pregnant by summer, we will go to the doctor," he said as he held me close. "We'll have a baby, I just know it."

"I really want to give you a baby. Maybe we can research it. Maybe there are things we can do on our own," I said with a shrug.

"That's a really great idea, Sweetie. I'll see what I can find," he said, pulling me to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I said as my eyes closed.

He wasn't mad, and we were able to come to a compromise of sorts that made the both of us happy. Maybe things were going to start looking up soon.

Wow a lot happened in this chapter! You got to see some of Alice's life. You got to see that Edward is still brainwashing Bella, and you got to see that Bella and Edward can act like a real couple. I hope you all still enjoying this story!


	19. Chapter 19

Okay we are moving on! I'm so happy with all the reviews so thank you all so much. Also, thanks to Sally for all her hard work!

We own nothing but the plot!

November came and went, and before I knew it, we were back on winter vacation for the Christmas Holiday. December turned out to be one of the best months we ever had. We had Alice and Jasper over for dinner for the official meeting, and I knew Alice was overly nervous — not that I blamed her. She and Jasper had been texting quite often, and I knew she really liked him. She was talking to her mom a lot about Jasper, and I knew her mother felt better about her meeting him at my house. I would never let anything happen to Alice; she had gone through so much already. I was so busy the day they were coming over, and Edward was so proud of how I was preparing the house and food. He even told me I was an amazing wife! That made my day even better. I really didn't know what everyone liked food-wise, so I just made spaghetti and meatballs. Of course, I used Esme's recipes. I loved cooking, and Edward always seemed to enjoy my food.

I hummed in appreciation of the smells that permeated the kitchen as I stuck the meatballs in the oven to keep warm. Turning around, I gasped in surprise to see Edward leaning against the kitchen table, a smile on his face.

"All finished?" he asked.

"Yes, Edward," I said with a smile of my own as I made my way over to him. "But now I'm all hot and sweaty…and not the good kind," I hinted, feeling a little playful.

Edward chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist, nuzzling his face into my neck. I shivered as I felt his tongue lick up the side of my neck.

"Definitely a little too salty," he agreed just as playfully. "We need to sweeten you up."

I giggled and pushed his face away with my fingers. "That's gross," I complained, wiping away the trail of saliva he left.

"Let's go sweeten you up before our guests arrive," Edward suggested before picking me up bridal style and taking long strides out of the kitchen.

The peals of my laughter could be heard around the house as Edward showed me just how "sweet" he could make me.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"You're going to be a good girl, right?" my husband asked as he helped me drain the pasta.

"Yes; I'm not ruining tonight for any one," I said matter-of-factly.

He poured the hot pasta in a big bowl and kissed my head. As soon as I had mixed the noodles, sauce, and meatballs together, the doorbell rang.

"They're early!" I exclaimed, splashing some spaghetti sauce onto the counter.

Edward laughed and patted my bottom. "Calm down," he whispered, kissing the shell of my ear. "Clean that up."

I groaned as Edward went to let our guests in, and as I was placing the plates on the table, I could hear him opening the front door.

"Hi, Alice," Edward said in greeting.

"Hi. How are you?" she asked timidly as I went to greet her.

"I'm doing well," he said with a smile.

"Hey," she whispered to me as I hugged her.

"You look beautiful," I said to her as she blushed.

"I didn't know how to do hair, so my mom helped me. Does it look okay?" she questioned.

"Yeah!" I said enthusiastically. "You look perfect."

"I'm so nervous I feel sick," she said with a giggle.

"You have nothing be nervous about. Jasper is a great guy, and I know he really likes you," Edward said as Alice smiled at him bashfully.

"Thanks," she said, sounding a little more comfortable.

Alice stuck close by me and helped me set drinks on the table for everyone while we waited for Jasper. She was very quiet, and I knew she was gathering her thoughts. When the doorbell rang again, she jumped out of her skin, scaring the shit out of me.

"Sorry I'm so jumpy," she said as I giggled. "I look okay, right?"

"Yes," I said as she smiled widely.

As soon as Edward and Jasper walked into the dining room, Alice turned beet red and tried to hide behind me. Her shyness was worse than I thought. Edward looked concerned by her actions, and I was sure he thought it was rude, but Jasper looked unfazed. I turned to face Alice, and she was holding her stomach. I knew she was scared. I took her hand and turned to the men.

"Do you mind if we have one minute?" I asked as Jasper smiled and nodded his head. Edward didn't look happy, but he didn't say anything against it. I pulled Alice into the small bathroom, and I couldn't help but balk at the doorway, my nerves getting the best of me at the thought of being back in the tiny space. I really didn't want to close the door, but I needed to worry about Alice more than myself. Taking a deep breath, I shut the door quietly but firmly, and turned to face Alice, who was looking a little pale.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I thought I could do this, but now I'm not too sure," she said quickly.

"Hey, I told you I wouldn't leave your side. I even set the table so you and I can sit next to each other. You only have to do what you are comfortable with," I said, holding her hand.

"I know. I thought I was fine, and then he walked in looking hot as hell, and I got scared," she said with a half laugh, half groan.

"Just talk when you want to. I know you can do this," I said as we smiled at each other. "Edward will keep the conversation flowing."

"Okay, I think I'm ready. Don't be offended if I don't eat," she said as I laughed.

"I'll send you home with some."

I took her hand and we headed back to the dining room. The boys were sipping their drinks when we took our seats.

"Let's eat," I said.

I picked up Edward's and Jasper's plates and scooped some food on to each of them, before handing them back with a smile.

"Man she's just like your mom," Jasper said with a laugh.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I teased as I placed a small scoop on Alice's plate.

"So, how's work going?" Edward asked as the conversation flowed. I knew he wouldn't let it falter.

As the men talked, I focused on not spilling my dinner all over myself as I kept shooting glances at Alice. She kept her eyes down on her plate, occasionally looking up and giving Jasper a timid smile. As soon as everyone was finished eating, including Alice, the conversation turned to entertainment, and I was glad to see Alice was coming out of her shell. I think once she knew no one was going to be mean or rude to her, she felt comfortable enough to show her true self.

Whenever she would talk, Jasper would watch her with a gentle smile, like he knew what she was hiding underneath. I was pretty sure he was really great for her, and I was hoping that he would get her out of her shell a little bit. The two of them continued to discuss their favorite movies while I stood up to begin clearing away some of the dinner dishes. Alice offered to help, but I declined. I didn't like help. As I was rinsing off the dishes, Edward surprised me by wiping down the counters.

"They really like one another," he said as I pulled out some small plates. "You're really great with her."

"Thanks. I just feel for her. She's been through so much. We've talked about stuff before, and I feel protective of her...I don't know how to explain it," I whispered.

"Honestly, I think it's great. For me, it shows that you're going to be a great mom," he said gently, kissing the side of my temple.

I smiled widely at him and leaned into his embrace, craving his touch.

"Um...would you please go see if they need a drink?" I asked as I took out the pie to begin cutting it.

"Baby, come here," Edward whispered from the doorway.

I quickly went to his side and I smiled as I saw Jasper sitting next to Alice with his arm around the back of her chair. She was leaning in toward him, and they were smiling sweetly at each other. I moved away to give them their privacy. Obviously not on the same wave length, Edward interrupted their moment, but they didn't seem to mind. I smiled and shook my head to myself as I brought out two plates at a time. As we ate, the tension that was once there evaporated. It was like four friends that had known each other for years.

"I have to get going. I want to get home before it rains," Alice said reluctantly.

"I can take you home if you're comfortable with that," Jasper offered, looking intently at Alice.

I looked to Alice to see her staring at Jasper, an intense look on her face, like she was having an internal battle with herself. I knew it would be a big step for her to say yes.

"I think I would be comfortable with that," she said as Jasper brushed his knuckles down her cheek.

By the end of the night, I was beat and ready for bed. Jasper and Alice left hand-in-hand, and I knew they were going to end up together; I could feel it. They seemed pretty perfect for one another. Edward and I undressed and crawled into bed with together.

"You have my permission to speak with Alice inside and outside of school. I will even put her number in your phone so you can speak with her on the phone once in a while," he said, pulling me onto his chest. "Would you like that, Baby?"

"Yes! Thank you so much. I love you more than life itself!" I said as I covered his mouth with mine.

"Do you know why she acts the way she does? If you ever acted as rudely as she did, you would be over my knee," he said.

I had a feeling he was going to ask about it.

"I only know a little bit," I said as he rubbed my back.

"What do you know?"

"Her father was very abusive, and she said he was 'hands-y' when he was sober," I told him.

"What do you mean hands-y?"

"She hasn't come right out and told me exactly what he did, but I assumed that he touched her sexually," I said as Edward sat up quickly.

"Has anything been done about it?"

"Her mother is her foster mother, so that means it has taken care of, right?" I asked as he nodded.

"I was ready to jump out of this bed and go hunt the fucker down," he grumbled.

I smiled and kissed his lips gently. He was the sweetest man ever. He was just getting to know Alice, and he was already protective of her.

I was so overcome with happiness that I couldn't help the smile on my face as Edward pulled me into his arms. It was truly the perfect ending of the perfect day. Knowing what he was wanting, I maneuvered myself over his thick cock and pushed him inside of me. I loved the way he felt inside of me; there was no greater feeling. I moaned loudly and thrust my hips up to meet his, needing him in ways I never knew I needed.

"Harder," I moaned breathlessly. "Please, harder!"

His fingers on my hips were digging into my skin, piercing the flesh with his nails. My hands were holding on tightly to his strong forearms, not wanting to let go in case I floated away from this amazing feeling. His cock filled me completely, stretching me to accommodate his size.

My eyes popped open as he suddenly stopped and pulled out of me, his length sliding from me while our combined juices ran down my thighs.

"No," I sobbed, holding on to him tighter. "Don't go."

Without a word, he took both of my hands in one of his before he flipped me suddenly on to my stomach. I gasped in shock as he lifted my bottom into the air before filling me once more, completely to the hilt.

"Oh. My. God!"

I kept my upper body down on the bed so that my bottom was even more up in the air, to the point Edward could easily pound into me from behind. The room was filled with sounds of our labored breath, the smell of sex, and the sound of our skin slapping together. I held onto the comforter with all my might as his thrusts became more and more rough, forcing me forward with every move.

"Fuck, this will never get old," Edward panted.

"Yes, yes, I really love this!" I half yelled as he pounded me.

I could only scream into my pillow as I felt my walls flutter around him. I was about to fall over the edge that only Edward could take me to.

"Let go, Bella," Edward grunted. "Fucking cum on my cock."

With me no longer in control, my body obeyed its Master, and my walls clenched around his cock like it was our last lifeline. I flew forward once more as Edward pressed into me from behind and held himself still as he emptied his seed inside me. I could feel the warmth coat the inside of my walls as my body clenched even more, forcing it deeper inside me.

Without another word, my arms gave out and we both tumbled onto the bed, his weight pressing into me, making it harder to breathe.

"Fuck, Baby," he groaned, rolling to the side and pulling me into his arms. "I think you killed me."

I giggled and snuggled in closer to him, my hands wrapped around his waist. "What a way to go," I agreed.

I was almost asleep when I felt Edward lifting my bottom once more, placing something soft beneath me. I blinked my sleepy eyes open to see Edward concentrating on whatever he was doing.

"What is that?" I asked, trying to get my bottom back on the bed.

"Don't move, Baby," Edward whispered, lying back down beside me. "It's a pillow to keep your hips elevated. It might help my little swimmers meet your egg," he explained.

I nodded sleepily before closing my eyes once more. If that's what it took to finally become pregnant with his child, I would do whatever I needed to.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

Now that Alice and I didn't have to hide our relationship any longer, it was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders. She had finally gained Edward's approval, and we were taking full advantage of that. We were hanging out at school as much as we could. She talked about Jasper nonstop, and I was so happy for her. She told me that Jasper kissed her the night they met, and she was so scared. She wanted to kiss him so badly that she 'sucked it up' — her words not mine. Her face lit up every time she talked about him, and I was so proud of her. I knew this was a huge step for her. The more we talked, the more I really got to know her and I truly understood why everything with Jasper was so hard for her. After talking with Edward about Alice's life, I started to feel guilty for disclosing her past.

"Alice, may I tell you something?" I asked nervously as we shared a bag of chips.

"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "Why are you acting so nervous?"

"Because I think you're going to be mad at me, and I didn't mean it in a bad way…"

"Just tell me. Your rambling is making me nervous."

"When you first met Jasper, Edward started asking questions about the way you acted when he first walked in. I told him what you had told me..."

"It's no big deal," she said with a shrug. "I told Jasper everything...he still wants me."

"Of course he does," I said with a smile.

"Jasper is different; he's nothing like my father. I can kiss Jasper and sit in his lap. When he pulls on me I get nervous, but then I know he doesn't mean anything bad, you know? I can't do much more, though, and I feel bad because I know he wants more. I want more," she whispered as I smiled at her.

"Are you scared of sex? That would be very understandable."

"I don't think I'm scared...I was once, but I think I would be okay with Jasper," she said. I wanted to know everything about Alice, but I knew I would only take what she gave me.

"When were you scared?"

"My dad beat me up pretty badly one morning. He had slept off his morning booze, and when he came into my room and saw the bruises on my arms and face...he cuddled me. I was fourteen at the time, and he told me how beautiful I was. Do you really want to hear this? I don't want to burden you," she said.

"I'm here to listen if you want to talk," I said, giving her a soft smile.

"Okay, my dad was mean to me, so when he was nice, I did whatever I could to keep him that way. Sue, my therapist, said it was natural to feel the way I did, but sometimes I think I'm just too fucked in the head," she said, shaking her head in disgust.

"When Jasper kisses me, I feel things that I never felt before, and that scares me. Jasper isn't mean to me, and he doesn't raise a hand to me, but I can't help waiting for it. Every time my dad was nice, it was followed by something mean right afterward. I feel that if I give in and have sex with him, the bad things will start. I'm scared to trust him when he says he won't hit me. He has told me time and time again that he will never hit me, but..."

"No one can tell you how to feel or how to trust. I'm sure that will come with time," I told her as she shrugged.

"I will never be abused again," she said firmly.

I nodded and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. I admired her strength. She knew what she wanted, and I thought that was great.

"Please don't be offended, but do you think Jasper is like Edward? I don't want that."

"You know Jasper better than I do, so I can't answer that. I like the way Edward and I are, but everyone is different," I said with a shrug. "So other than the sex stuff, you and Jas are doing well?"

"Yes," she said with a blush. "I love the thought of getting married and having kids with him...I really want that."

I knew what her goals were in life, and I knew she would get what she deserved.

"Well, if everything is going well, maybe you can celebrate Christmas with us!" I said excitedly.

Christmas was just around the corner, and I would love to spend it with Alice.

"Let's just see what happens between Jasper and I," Alice laughed.

~~~AOMM~~~

I laughed and threw the crinkled wrapping paper at Jasper's head, winking at Alice.

"Really, Jasper?" I asked. "You thought I would like a Cookie Monster backpack? I'm seventeen, not twelve," I teased.

Jasper gaped for a minute before turning to Edward, poking him in the chest with his index finger. "You said she would like it!" he accused.

At that, we all lost it and burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"I love it, Jasper," I said, wiping tears from my eyes. "I'm just giving you a hard time."

I giggled again as he flopped back in his seat, pulling Alice into his lap. I saw her tense, but she soon relaxed. "You're going to give me gray hairs, woman," he grumbled.

"Tell me about it," Edward agreed. "I swear Bella has already given me some."

I stood up and kissed Edward's cheek as I passed him his next present. "We'll just need to get you some hair dye," I teased, "to keep you as handsome looking as your father."

The bantering continued throughout the rest of the morning as gifts were exchanged and comebacks were thrown out. I couldn't remember a time when our house was more relaxed. Carlisle and Esme were with us, as well as Jasper and Alice. Ever since our dinner together, they've been practically joined at the hip, and I've never seen Alice happier.

Once all the presents has been opened and the gratitude had been given, I stood up, ready to bring out tea and cookies as our midmorning snack.

"One second, Bella," Jasper said, standing up and placing Alice on the couch. "I have an announcement to make."

I sat back in my seat, shooting Alice a questioning look that she returned. She had no idea what was going on either.

"Uncle Carlisle, Aunt Esme," he said, looking at them. "What is the one thing you both have been asking of me since I moved to Washington six years ago?" he asked.

I looked to Edward, more confused now than ever to see him smiling widely at his cousin.

"To live closer to us so that I can take care of you," Esme whispered, a tear falling down her cheek. "You know I love you like I love my Edward. I just want to see you taken care of."

Jasper nodded and ducked his head. "And I'm sorry that it's taken me this long," he said gently.

"You don't mean..." Carlisle asked, a grin splitting his face.

"I do," Jasper laughed. "I should have done it before, but now that I have Ali here, I have to be closer. I put in my request to be transferred to the Police Department here in Forks, and as of last week, it was approved. I start right after the holidays."

Happiness flooded the room as everyone stood up to hug Jasper properly. Congratulations were passed around, and no one could stop smiling.

"You're moving closer because of me?" Alice asked him, standing in front of him and looking up.

The rest of us backed off slightly to let them have their moment. Obviously this was news to Alice as well.

"I am," Jasper whispered, ducking his head until his forehead was against hers. "I can't be a part from you any longer," he admitted. "I'm going to marry you, someday."

I sniffled and wiped at my eyes as Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning his chin on my shoulder so that our heads were next to one another.

"You've kept me waiting a long time, Mr. Whitlock," Alice admonished him through her tears.

"Sorry, Ma'am," Jasper replied right before attacking her mouth with his. Alice didn't pull away from the kiss, but her cheeks did turn a pretty shade of pink.

"Well now, this is a cause for celebration," Esme sniffled. "Let's go get the snacks and we can go over the details."

"Good idea," Carlisle said, placing a kiss to Esme's head before she headed for the kitchen.

I kissed Edward's cheek before following Esme, knowing that Alice would be preoccupied for a little bit.

After a nice lunch that Esme, Alice, and I served, Alice and Jasper went to spend the rest of Christmas day with her family, which left Edward and I alone with Carlisle and Esme.

As the conversation flowed around me, I couldn't help but yawn quietly into Edward's shoulder. I didn't get much sleep the night before, and it was taking its toll on me.

"Why don't you go on up to bed, Baby, and take a short nap?" Edward suggested, kissing the top of my head. "You've been such a good girl today, and you deserve a little break."

I looked up to him to see him smiling gently back at me and nodded my head. I was tired.

"That sounds like a good idea," I agreed. "Will you come get me when it's time to start on the side dishes for dinner?"

"Of course. Have a good nap."

I leaned down to quickly peck his lips before making my way upstairs. It was a great day, and I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"To a new year!"

"To the start of a new family!"

"To love!"

I giggled as everyone called out their wishes for the New Year and linked my fingers with my husband's as his father passed out glasses of champagne.

To my surprise, Edward grabbed two glasses and handed me one with a wink. "You deserve it," he whispered in my ear.

I blushed and smiled at him tentatively, not wanting to make a scene. Instead I pulled on his arm gently to bring his ear back to me.

"I can't drink this," I whispered, looking around to see if anyone was paying us any attention.

Luckily, it looked like everyone was talking and laughing as they waited for the ball to drop.

"You can," Edward countered, looking confused. "You've earned it. You've been so well behaved all vacation."

I shook my head and stood on my tip toes to reach his ear again. "Alcohol isn't good when trying for a baby," I whispered again.

I averted my eyes, hoping he wouldn't press the issue. I really didn't want to tell him right here, right now.

"One sip won't hurt," Edward replied.

I sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to drop this, and I didn't want to make a scene.

"I'm late, Edward," I whispered, finally looking into his eyes.

Edward blinked, his hand still raised like he was going to run it through his hair. I watched in somewhat fascination as his eyes narrowed and his mouth moved wordlessly.

Suddenly his eyes lightened as a big smile overtook his face.

"I can't believe I didn't remember!" he whispered excitedly. "You're three days late, aren't you?"

I smiled back and nodded my head. He knew my cycle better than I did.

"We'll get you a test first thing in the morning," Edward said, taking my glass from me and replacing it with a bottle of water. "Until then, you stick to water."

I laughed and hugged him around the waist.

"I knew you would see it my way," I teased him.

The rest of the night flew by, and because of how much Jasper and Alice drank, Edward ended up placing Alice in our guest bedroom and making Jasper a bed on the couch. When we finally went to bed ourselves, our night was filled with gentle touches and whispered words of our never ending love for one another. It was a night I would never forget.

The next morning, I woke up to horrible cramps that had me doubled over in the bed as Edward rubbed my back soothingly. Without saying a word, he picked me up and carried me to the bathroom, placing me on the toilet. As soon as I saw the blood on the toilet paper, I burst into tears while Edward held me.

"You were just a few days late, Baby," he said gently. "It happens. You were under a lot of stress over the holidays."

"I wanted it so much," I whispered.

"I know. I did, too. But I promise you, we will not stop trying. It's going to happen for us," he assured me.

I nodded my head and gratefully accepted the Tylenol from his hand.

"I'll make you a father," I vowed. "I promise."

"And I know that you will make a wonderful mother," he replied, kissing my forehead.

~~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

January and February were filled with nothing but love making between Edward and I, but there was still no baby to show for it. It seemed like everything around us was falling into place, except for me getting pregnant. I even got a spanking for being a brat over the whole thing. After not leaving the bedroom for three weeks straight, I was over trying to have baby. It wasn't working, and I was sure it wasn't going to. We had tried everything. He had held my legs in the air, propped my hips in the air, and still nothing worked.

It was the day before school was due to start, and I was lying on my belly on our bed because I felt crampy; it was only a matter of days before my period started. Not only did I have cramps, my breasts were extremely sore and my nipples hurt to the touch.

And as if that wasn't enough, my PMS was making me overly emotional, and the thought of sex made my eyes roll. I felt the bed dip beside me before strong hands began to pull down my pajama pants. I groaned into my pillow and tried to roll away, but stopped short as a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen.

"What's the matter?" Edward asked, laying kisses between my shoulder blades.

"I'm not in the mood," I said, shrugging him off.

"Don't shrug me off. I'm your husband," he snapped.

I sighed heavily, knowing that he was getting angry, but at that moment, I just couldn't bring myself to care.

"We have had sex every day; my poor vagina needs a break," I said, shrugging him off again.

I cringed as he gripped my arm, pinching the skin in between his fingers. I struggled to get out of his hold, but it only caused him to tighten his grip.

"I'm your husband and I want my wife! Don't you tell me no!" he said angrily. "Why don't you want me? Do you not want to give me a child?"

"I do!" I yelled. "I want that more than anything, but it doesn't seem to be happening so I give up!"

"You have been such a good girl lately, and now you think you get to yell and be a brat? Get your ass in the closet now!" he yelled.

I felt my face drain of its blood before I threw myself at him, ignoring my protesting stomach.

"I'm sorry," I cried. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel like a failure...like I can't do anything right. I just need a break. My whole body hurts, and I really want to give you what you want, but I just don't think it's going to happen. I'm giving up," I said as I cried into his chest.

My tears kept coming as Edward moved out of bed and sat on the chest at the end of the bed. I knew what he wanted, so I moved quickly to him. I lay across his lap and he delivered all the swats I deserved. He stood me up between his legs as he glared at me.

"We do not give up. We will try and try until we have our baby. If I want to have sex with my wife, I will; do you understand?"

"Yes; I'm sorry for saying no," I said as I cried more.

"Can you think of a better way to handle the way you're feeling?" he asked as I put my face in my hands and cried.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I said as he cuddled me. "I'm sorry."

"Just do as you're told and be a good girl, and things will just happen," he said as he moved me into his lap. "When we are meant to have a baby, we will."

"I'm just scared."

"No need," he said, kissing my mouth. "I love making babies." I couldn't help laughing at him; he was too cute.

Two more weeks went by not a day passed where I wasn't sick. Edward even had his father come in to make sure it wasn't anything serious, but from what Carlisle could tell, it was just a twenty-four bug that needed to run its course. But when I asked if I could take anything for the nausea and headaches, I was denied.

"If there's even a slight chance that you could be pregnant, you don't want to risk it by taking medication, do you?" Edward asked me as I hovered over the toilet.

He was holding my hair back for me, and while I was mortified that he had to witness, I was also thankful that he was with me.

"No," I moaned right before I emptied my stomach again. "Can I stay home from school today?"

"I didn't expect you to go in," Edward said gently. "But I can't miss work today. We're briefing a new hire, but I'll have Mom come and sit with you today. I want you in bed for the day, so don't worry about your chores."

Once Edward placed me in our bed, setting a bucket off to the side, I immediately fell back asleep, glad that my stomach seemed to have settled for the time being. I blinked my eyes open as I felt something cold run across my forehead. Looking up, I saw Esme smiling down at me, running a cool washcloth over my heated face.

"Good morning," she said softly.

"Morning," I croaked.

I moved to sit up, but immediately, my stomach rejected the movement, and I reached for the bucket just in time. I groaned in pain and frustration as I dry heaved, wishing that Esme wasn't here to witness this.

"You can leave," I whispered as I caught a break in between heaves.

"Not likely," Esme chuckled. "I brought you some Saltine crackers."

Once I was sure I wasn't going to be sick again, I sat up gingerly and took the offered crackers from her hands.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, nibbling on the salty goodness.

"My pleasure," she replied.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, and once I had a few crackers in my stomach, I began to feel a hundred times better.

"I think I'm okay to get up now," I offered as I sat up further.

"Carlisle said you've been sick for a couple of weeks now," Esme commented.

I nodded my head and gingerly made my way to the bathroom. When I finished my business, I came out to see that Esme had changed the sheets on the bed and rinsed out the bucket.

"I'm not sure what's wrong with me," I admitted.

"Do you think you could be pregnant?" Esme asked gently.

I immediately shook my head as tears welled in my eyes.

"I seriously doubt it," I mumbled as I began dressing in the clothes she laid out at the end of the bed. "We've been trying for so long that I just don't see it happening for us," I admitted.

I hissed in pain as I tried to clasp my bra in the back. My breasts were extra sensitive.

"Maybe you should take a test," Esme said with a hint of a smile. "Just in case."

I nodded my head and willed myself not to cry. Again.

"It couldn't hurt, I guess," I mumbled. "I'll ask Edward to pick one up on his way home from work."

The rest of the day was spent mostly in bed or on the couch. I couldn't keep my eyes open, and when I could, I was spending my time in the bathroom, near the toilet. I was seriously contemplating whether or not to make myself a bed on the bathroom floor when the door opened and Edward came in.

"Is it six already?" I whispered, leaning my head on my arm that was resting on the seat of the toilet.

Edward chuckled and gently pulled me into a standing position.

"I came home a little early," he admitted. "Mom said you were still pretty sick."

"I think I'm dying," I moaned into his shirt.

"You're not dying," Edward laughed. "But it's time to take a test."

My mood sobered quickly as I looked down to see him holding a pink box in his hand.

"I just don't want to be disappointed again," I argued weakly.

"If you don't, we'll never know," Edward countered.

I nodded my head and pulled down my pants while he opened up the box. Once he read the directions, he handed me the stick.

"Hold it under your pee stream until you're done," he said.

I did as I was told, and then capped it before handing the stick back to him. Unfortunately, that was too much movement for my queasy stomach, and I immediately moved off the toilet to throw up again. Edward immediately squatted down so that he was beside me while holding back my hair.

"Good news is that this means the baby is very healthy," he commented.

"What baby?" I mumbled before another set of heaves took over.

"My baby that you're carrying," he said gently.

I looked up to see him smiling widely at me, the stick in his other hand.

"It's positive?" I asked, completely shocked.

Edward nodded and chuckled before showing me the stick. "The second line popped up after a few seconds," he confirmed.

With shaky hands, I took the stick from him to see a light second line in the window.

I was pregnant.

We were going to have our baby.

Edward got his way again! They are having a baby! Reviews are very welcomed!

See you next Monday! A little hint for the next chapter is when the real drama begins….


	20. Chapter 20

I slammed the car door harder than necessary and slumped down into the passenger seat of Esme's car, letting out a huff of exasperation. I could feel Esme's eyes on me, but I didn't glance her way. Instead, I kept my eyes forward, praying that she would let it go and just get me home.

"Everything okay?" she asked gently.

I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue to keep from making a sarcastic comment.

"Fine," I snapped, willing my tears to stay at bay until I could be alone.

It was bad enough being the joke of the school, but I couldn't stand it if my family thought that of me as well. Alice was my only friend — which was perfectly fine — but there was only so much she could do to stick up for me when the bullies came out. And really, it wasn't her fight anyway. Not that that ever stopped her. She was constantly fighting my battles for me, and threatening bodily harm to those who dared to cross our path. The problem was we were just two girls in a sea of bodies. Everyone knew that I was knocked up, but what the idiots didn't take in to consideration, was that I would have already given birth if I had been pregnant when they'd first suspected it! But now that the pregnancy was definitely confirmed, thanks to my growing stomach, the rumors were relentless and their hatred was all-consuming. The kids of Forks High had it out for me, and they were out for blood. I just didn't understand why.

I knew what my issue was, though. I was better than any of the school kids my age. I was a married woman with a child of my own on the way, and I didn't have time for their immaturity. I was on such a different level than the rest of them, but no one else in my family could see it. The only place I felt like I really belonged was at home with Edward. It was the only place I ever truly wanted to be, even if he was currently driving me insane when I was home.

After getting the official word that I was pregnant, Edward changed dramatically. I couldn't walk from the office to the kitchen without him asking me where I was going or just following me around the house. It was like he believed that if he didn't have his eye on me every minute of every day, something would happen to me or our child. I couldn't blame him for being overprotective, but I did blame him for driving me up the wall. I also realized that I was getting away with a lot more, and I couldn't help but test that theory every once in a while. He was allowing me to be snippy with him, which was a complete change in demeanor from the way he used to act. The first time I snapped at him, I thought for sure I was going to get a spanking, but he surprised me by just giving me a verbal warning.

I was sitting in the office, reading a book for English while Edward got some work done, when the overwhelming urge to pee hit me. It was so strong that I thought I was going to wet myself right there on the sofa. Without saying a word, I scrambled up quickly and raced for the door.

"Where do you think you're going? You're not done with you're reading assignment!" Edward snapped. I really felt like my bladder was going to explode, so I held one finger up — silently telling him that I'd be back in a minute — and continued for the door. "Don't you walk out on me! I asked you a question!"

Frustrated that I'd have to clean up a huge mess if he didn't let me go, I stopped and turned to him. "If you must know, I'm going to go pee. The baby must have moved or something and is squishing my bladder. If I don't go now, I'm going to end up making a big, disgusting mess all over the floor." I didn't wait for him to answer. I spun around and ran down the hall as quick as I could.

Once I was on the toilet, I felt so much better. I must have peed for five minutes straight because Edward came barging into the bathroom, wondering what was taking me so long.

"You're still peeing?" he asked.

"Yes! I told you I had to pee. If I'd waited any longer, I wouldn't have made it in here. I don't know what's wrong. Like I said, I guess the baby is lying on my bladder."

Edward still looked pissed. "I want you back in my office the second you're done in here." Without another word, he turned around and walked out, leaving the bathroom door wide open so he could hear when I flushed.

I knew I was in trouble, I just hoped he didn't decide to spank me for running out on him. It was wrong to leave without his permission, and I knew it.

Once I was finished, I washed my hands and then returned to his office to stand in the doorway. "Come sit down," he ordered without ever looking up from his computer. That wasn't a good sign, but I knew if I hesitated, whatever punishment was coming would be even worse.

Quietly, I walked back to my place on the couch and took my seat. "Who am I?" he asked in a hard voice.

"You're my husband," I responded immediately.

"Well, you're not respecting me like a wife should respect her husband," he said with a slightly raised voice. "Do you ever hear my mother talking to my father that way?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "No, you don't, because my mother knows what it means to be a wife. She knows how to respect my father because she loves him. He is everything to her."

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes at his words. He didn't come right out and say it, but he was implying that I didn't love him — that he wasn't my entire world. "I'm sorry. I love you so much. You are all I have. You are all I need. You're everything to me, Edward."

I moved beside him and knelt on the ground by his feet, willing him to believe me. I would be lost without him. "You need to watch how you talk to me. You say you love me and that I'm everything to you, but then you treat me like crap. Maybe you weren't ready to be my wife, after all."

I grabbed his hands as the tears streamed down my face. "No, I am ready. I promise. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm trying. I really am. I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Then watch your attitude. I know I've been lenient with you since you got pregnant, but that doesn't mean I don't still want or deserve your respect. You're my wife; start acting like it."

After that 'talk', I stopped trying to push boundaries that didn't need to be pushed. I was making a conscious effort to prove to my husband that I did love him, and that I was the perfect wife for him. It was hard in the beginning of the pregnancy, simply because I was so tired and it took all I had just to clean. We ate out a lot at first, but once I was feeling better, I was back to cooking. And whenever we had down time, Edward never failed to show me his own love for me by rubbing my feet or back after a long day of school. I enjoyed the attention he gave me, and everything he did made me love him more, if that was even possible.

Once the second trimester started, I began to notice a definite change in my emotions and my increased libido, which Edward was taking full advantage of. Sex was the only thing I wanted, and Edward was more than willing to provide. Just by playing with my sensitive nipples, he had me coming undone in his arms, which he absolutely loved. The only thing we both could have lived without, were my mood swings. Some days nothing made me happy, and it looked like today was going to be one of those days.

"Want to talk about what happened?" Esme asked gently.

"Same as every other crappy day," I groaned. "I'm sorry, but summer can't get here soon enough. I can't stand school. I know this is supposed to help, but I really don't see how going to school can help anything! I'm good with talking to people now. I call and make all my own appointments and do all the food shopping, so I really don't think I need to go to school," I cried as tears fell silently down my face.

"You need to calm down. All this stress is not good for the baby," Esme said sadly.

I knew that she was just as lost about the situation as I was, and that if she could, she would do anything to help me. It wasn't our place, though, and so far, Edward wasn't budging on his idea of me finishing High School in the public school system.

"Then I really need to leave school!" I exclaimed as Esme started the car. "That's what stresses me out the most. All the stupid kids talk about me and spread rumors. I'm doing my best to ignore it, but sometimes I just can't!" I half yelled.

"Bella, you need to calm d..." Esme had started to say before I cut her off.

"I need to stay home!" I snapped.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I immediately regretted them. My anger was misplaced, and I knew Esme didn't deserve it. I was just frustrated and had no one else I could vent to.

"Maybe you should lie down for a bit when you get home, before Edward gets there," Esme suggested softly.

I bit my tongue before I could say anything else, and settled for nodding my head. She was right: the last thing I needed was a repeat of a few nights ago.

"Bella, I can't turn the heat down any lower," Edward argued sleepily. "Otherwise I'll freeze."

I groaned and sat up in bed, brushing my sweaty hair from my forehead.

"Can we at least get a fan or something to put in here and just have it aimed directly at me then? I can't sleep when I'm this hot," I whined, throwing myself back down onto my pillow.

"Sure, Baby," Edward yawned. "I'll pick you up one tomorrow on my way home from work."

I rolled my eyes as he rolled back over, pulling the comforter up to his chin. Big baby. It wasn't even cold in here!

"Why can't I have one now?" I persisted.

I knew that I was being unreasonable, but being hot made me cranky, and when I was too hot, it was impossible to sleep. The baby was like a little tiny radiator inside of me.

"Because it's in the middle of the fucking night!" Edward snapped. "Go to sleep."

I closed my eyes as my stomach churned in anger. He didn't even care. After a few minutes of tossing and turning Edward finally had enough.

"I'm sleeping on the fucking couch," he grumbled, pushing himself out of bed.

I sat straight up then, my heart freezing.

"What?"

"I said I'm sleeping on the couch. You're being an unreasonable brat, acting like nothing but a spoiled child!" he growled.

I felt like I couldn't breathe as I watched him make his way out of the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind him. I don't know how long I laid there in bed, but it felt like hours before my tears ran dry and I felt calm enough to go to him.

I slowly made my way downstairs and saw Edward on the couch, right where he said he would be. Only, he didn't look comfortable at all. His feet were dangling off the end, and his neck was at an awkward angle. Why didn't he make me sleep down here instead? As I stood above him, I could tell he wasn't sleeping, but he wasn't opening his eyes to me either. I sighed out softly and dropped to my knees beside him.

"Edward?" I whispered, running my fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, Baby."

His lips twitched, but he said nothing.

"You're right; I'm acting ridiculous. I'm just lucky that you love me and put up with me. Our baby just makes me extra hot at night," I said, trying to explain my actions.

I smiled as his fingers came up and took a hold of mine before he brought them to his lips for a quick kiss.

"Our baby seems to make you a lot of things," he said.

I nodded and looked down. "I've never been pregnant before, and all these emotions are so completely new to me that I don't know how to handle them," I admitted.

"We'll work through it," he yawned. "But for now, you need to get back to bed. You have school in the morning."

I grimaced at being reminded that I had school the next day, and inside, I knew that was truly my problem. My emotions couldn't handle petty high school students any longer.

"Why didn't you make me sleep on the couch?" I asked.

Edward scoffed and sat up, running a hand over his face tiredly. "Because you are pregnant," he replied. "And you can hardly get comfortable as it is, I'm not about to make it worse by making you sleep down here. It just made more sense for me to."

I cried silently as his love washed over me. He was so selfless, and I was nothing more than a selfish jerk.

"Please come to bed," I whispered.

When we arrived at the house, I exited the car without a word. I let myself inside and set the alarm once I locked the door.

Edward had given me my own key to our house about a month ago. I smiled to myself as I remembered that day. That was the day that Edward showed me that he trusted me completely.

Once I was inside the house, I kicked off my shoes and did my best to get out of the mood I was in. I picked up and did the little bit of homework I had before throwing together a quick dinner. I left it in the warmer until Edward arrived home, but as time went on my foul mood seemed to be worsening. I was starving, but I knew I wasn't supposed to eat without him. If he wasn't home soon, though, I was going to eat, regardless of the repercussions. I knew that would get me in trouble, but I don't think he had taken in to account that I wanted to eat all the time lately.

By the time he had gotten home, my mood was even worse due to the fact that I was so hungry. As soon as I heard the car pull into the driveway, I rushed to get dinner on the table.

"May I eat, please?" I asked as soon as he shut the door.

"Hey, Baby. How was your day?" he asked sweetly.

I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue to keep from snapping at him. He knew what he was doing.

"Same as any other crappy day. I'm starving; may I eat?" I asked again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, placing his hand on my belly.

"Hungry," was my only answer. I felt like I would pass out if I didn't eat something soon.

"I truly hope eating will get you out of this rotten mood you're in," he said as I walked away from him.

All I heard was that I could eat. I quickly sat down and shoveled forkful after forkful of pasta into my mouth. I looked to my husband because I could feel his eyes on me. He was watching me as he took his gun belt off and untucked his shirt. He unbuttoned it and laid it on the banister of the stairs.

"Pasta again?" he asked as he sat down.

"It's fast and easy," I said with a full mouth. I couldn't seem to eat it fast enough to settle my hunger.

"I want something better tomorrow. Something that doesn't take ten minutes to make," he grumbled.

"I don't know what you want from me."

"I want you to do what is expected of you here!" he said, raising his voice.

Finishing off the rest of my dinner, I stood up from the table, my chair making a loud sound as it scraped across the floor.

"Fine!" I said harshly.

I knew tears were only moments away, though I did my best not to cry. As I rinsed my plate off, I saw Edward place his arms on either side of me, caging me in.

"Look, I know this pregnancy is wreaking havoc on your emotions. I know you hate going to school every day, but I also know that if you don't lose this little attitude you have with me right now, you will get a spanking. I have let you get away with a lot lately, but I'm sick of you having this bitchy attitude every single day," he whispered menacingly.

His whispers were worse than when he yelled. He sounded more…dangerous.

I took a deep breath and nodded my head. I knew he had let me get away with a lot the last few months, and I knew I was on the verge of getting a spanking.

"I'm sorry about dinner, but the baby wanted pasta," I explained.

"It's fine," he chuckled. "But next time, add some meat and vegetables to the sauce," he said, kissing my temple.

I knew that even though doing that would add to my already busy days, it would make him happy, and that's all I really wanted.

"Deal," I agreed easily, wrapping myself into his arms.

The rest of the night went better, and I was able to curve my mood a bit, though it helped that I fell asleep before eight o'clock as Edward and I watched TV.

The next day at school was my final breaking point, though. Between Jessica and Lauren out to get me, it was only a matter of time. They said and did anything they could to get a rise out of me, and I had always been able to either brush it off or walk away. I didn't care what they had to say about me or my marriage, but when they started saying horrible things about my child...I flipped.

"So, Bella," Jessica said as she sat next to Alice at our lunch table. "Did you hear the new rumor?"

"Since you're the one that makes up such rumors, why don't you just tell me," I said, already bored with her antics.

"Oh, Bella, you're so funny. I was just wondering if it was true that once this baby is born, you'll be a millionaire."

"What are you talking about?" Alice asked as we both looked at her in confusion.

"You're selling the baby, right?" I stared at her for a split second before I reacted. My arm swung across the table, and my fist met her face. Hard. Jessica screamed like I had killed her. I got up calmly from my chair and headed for her again.

"I'm so sick of you running your mouth about me!" I yelled as I went to hit her again.

Before I could connect with her once more, a small body stepped into my line of sight, pulling me back.

"Bella, stop. This isn't you," Alice said as she brought me back down to earth a bit.

"Cullen! Stanley! Office, now!" Mr. Smith yelled as he came up to us.

"I think she broke my nose," Jessica cried.

"You're welcome. Now maybe your nose will fit your face," I said.

"Enough! I don't want to hear another word out of either of you," Mr. Smith said as he handed Jessica a handful of paper towels.

Alice handed me my bag, and I followed Mr. Smith and a wailing Jessica to Mr. Banner's office. I knew I was in trouble. I knew better than to hit someone. I hated being hit...I knew better. I could feel the tears burning in the corners of my eyes, but not because I was sorry for what I had done…I just couldn't believe I had the audacity to hit her. I raised a fist to another person. That pain that I used to have to endure daily…I just brought that on somebody else.

"I'm calling my mom and the cops! You won't get away with this," Jessica cried as we made it to the office.

"I will call both your parents," Mr. Banner said, walking out of his office with Mr. Smith.

"You better call the cops as well, because I'm pressing charges for assault," Jessica said as I rolled my eyes.

Did she not remember who my husband was? Edward was the cops.

Mr. Smith stayed with Jessica and I as Mr. Banner called everyone that needed to be notified. She sat there and wailed while I placed my elbows on my knees and bowed my head, covering my ears. Her screeching was giving me a killer headache. I was grateful when Mr. Banner called her into his office to hear her side of what happened. I smiled when I heard Mr. Banner call Alice and Lauren to the office. At that point, I didn't care if anyone believed me or not. I did what I did, and now I would take any of the consequences that were coming to me.

What was the worst that they could do? Expel me? That would be my reward. Not my punishment.

"Bella," Mr. Banner said as a sobbing Jessica came back out. I walked into his office and waited for him to take his seat. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"A lot of things had been said about my husband and me, but I've never let any of it bother me. Today she said she heard I was selling our child and I lost it," I sighed.

"We have zero tolerance for fighting," he said, shaking his head. "I will have to suspend you for the rest of the week."

"That's fine; I understand," I said, smiling on the inside, knowing I was getting a mini vacation.

"As of right now, Jessica wants to press charges against you, but I will talk her out of it. I know you have gone through a lot recently. I'm not deaf, nor am I stupid. I've heard what has been said about you, and it will end today. I should have done something sooner, but you have never complained," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," I whispered.

He stood from his chair, telling me to go back to the front office and take a seat. My stomach dropped when I saw Edward, along with Jasper and Emmett, in the office. There was an older woman sitting beside them glaring at the three of them, and I assumed it was Jessica's mother.

"Thank you everyone for coming in. Let me speak with Alice and Lauren, and then we will all have a sit down," Mr. Banner said, motioning for Alice to follow him.

Alice gave me a tiny smile and squeezed my hand briefly before following Banner.

I looked down and avoided eye contact with Edward as I took my seat beside him; I knew he was more than angry with me. Alice walked out sooner than I thought she would, and Lauren was quickly let in. Alice headed out of the office, brushing Jasper's hand on her way. I smiled to myself when I saw that, and noticed that I wasn't the only one.

"Call me later," she said before walking out.

A few minutes later, Lauren came out with her head bowed and tears running down her face.

"You can all pile into my office, now," Mr. Banner called from the inside.

Jessica was quick to jump up, and I slowly followed. I was surprised when I felt Edward's hand on my back; it made me feel better.

"I want her removed from this school," Jessica's mother ranted immediately before the door had even shut all the way.

"Ms. Stanley that will not be happening for the simple fact that I would have to show your daughter the same courtesy," Mr. Banner said as her mother went into a rage.

"My child was assaulted and you are threatening to remove her? What is wrong with this school?!"

"Yes," Mr. Banner said in a final tone. "Not only is there a zero tolerance policy with fighting, but the same goes for bullying. Bella has endured enough, and it ends here. I wish Bella would have come to me, but she didn't, and now she will be suspended for the rest of the week."

"Can we be filled in on what happened?" Emmett asked.

"Jessica asked Bella if she was selling her baby after it was born, and Bella struck her. Everyone's story has matched — minus Jessica's — so I have to believe that is the truth. As I've told Bella, I'm neither deaf nor stupid. I know what has been said throughout my school, and I know where every rumor has been started," he said, looking directly at Jessica. "Ms. Stanley, if you feel the need to press charges, then that is your choice, but if you choose to do so, I will have to suggest that Bella press harassment charges against your daughter, as well."

The room was quiet as Jessica and her mother stared at one another. I looked down at my stomach as I started to feel sick. I was too stressed I think.

"I think we are done here. Is Jessica being punished for something that was not her fault?" her mother asked.

"Yes; she needs to leave for the day, and she is suspended for tomorrow too. This is her one and only warning. If she harasses anyone or starts another rumor about someone in this school, she will be expelled. The bruising says her nose is probably broken, so she should be seen by a doctor," Mr. Banner said before turning to me. "Same for you, Bella; if you fight with one more student you too will be expelled."

"I understand," I said with a head nod.

"How long is she suspended for?" Edward asked.

"The rest of the week," Mr. Banner explained.

"Um...no one deserves to be hit, so I'm sorry I hit you," I said, trying to be sincere.

"Whatever," she mumbled into the paper towel covering her face.

"Thank you for coming in, Officers," Mr. Banner said. I stood to leave and Edward took my hand as we left the school.

"She's got a good arm on her. I'd be careful if I was you," Emmett said, hitting Edward in the chest.

"Funny," Edward said dryly.

"Is Alice okay?" Jasper asked, turning to me.

"Um...I think so. She stood between Jessica and I when I went to hit her a second time," I shrugged.

"Why were you going to hit her a second time?" Edward asked.

"Because once didn't feel like enough," I whispered, looking down.

I still wasn't sorry that I hit her, but I didn't like seeing my husband's disappointment.

"Loved your apology to, her by the way. I've heard more sincere apologies from felons who have committed murder," Jasper said as he and Emmett burst into laughter.

"I hate her. She makes my life way more difficult than it needs to be," I snapped.

"Knocking her up has made her very bold..." Emmett said with another laugh. "I don't think I have heard her be so snarky. I like it, and I know Rose would just love to see this side to her."

"We've got to go," Edward said, pulling me away from the two laughing hyena's.

Once Edward and I were in the car with the doors closed, I sat and waited for him to yell or something. Instead, he said nothing. The ride home was silent and filled with tension, and I could feel my heart racing at what was to come. I knew I was in a heap of trouble, I just didn't know what my punishment would be.

"I'm done with you. I'm done with it all. I have been as patient as I can be, but you have pushed me too far. I think I have given you too much leeway! Do we need to go back to the way we were? Do I need tell you to do everything? Take your keys away? Put you in the closet?!" he yelled as he slammed the front door behind him.

I flinched back as tears immediately began coursing down my cheeks.

"No!" I yelled quickly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I don't think you are!" he yelled back. "Let's go! I have to get back to work," he snapped as he sat on the trunk at the end of our bed.

I sobbed through my spanking and up until I fell asleep after Edward went back to work. That was the first spanking I had received in almost two months.

Throughout the rest of the week, Alice brought me all the work that I missed while I was out of school. I also found out that I would have to stay after school for three days to make up tests that I was going to miss. There was nothing I could do about it, though. It sucked because it was going to throw off my schedule at home, but I didn't let that upset me for long. Staying home alone and not having to endure whispers or stares or hurtful words everywhere I went, was such a change for me that it felt like nothing could bring me down. I was happier and in better spirits than I could ever remember being in. Esme would come over and spend the days with me, and while I cleaned, we talked and laughed and it was just like before.

I also spent my afternoons cooking up elaborate meals for Edward for dinner, and making nice lunches for him to bring with him to work. I even made enough for him to bring some to Emmett and Jasper. My time at home was spent cleaning, cooking, and doing what work I was missing from school. I had never been happier.

Esme wasn't the only one to see a change in my attitude. Edward saw the change in me by the end of the first day. School was my problem, and he was a happier husband by the end of the week. We had a long talk one night, and I told him everything Jessica had ever said. I told him I just wanted to ignore her, but when she talked about our baby I just snapped. Edward said I had to finish the school year, but that we would figure something else out for my last year. I was very happy about that. Knowing that I never had to go back to that dreaded hell hole, made the rest of my school days more bearable.

As the days went by, my doctor appointments became more frequent. Edward and I loved going to each one, and every time, we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat. To us, there was no greater sound in the world. Everything was going perfectly with the pregnancy, and I couldn't have been happier. Not only did I love to hear the baby's heart, but I loved to see the smile on Edward's face. He was such a proud daddy, and I was glad I could make him so happy. I couldn't wait to find out what we were having. Edward said as soon as we knew, we could start shopping! I had so much to look forward to. The thought of setting up the nursery brought the brightest smile to my face. I just couldn't wait for my baby to arrive.

~~~AOMM~~~~

"Hey, Baby," Edward said as he answered his phone.

"Hi. I just got home, and I was wondering if it would be okay to maybe take a nap and have you bring something home for dinner?" I questioned, stifling a yawn.

"That's fine. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm just tired," I said as I stripped out of my clothes before climbing into bed.

It had been a long day at school with surprise quizzes and extra work, and I was just more drained than usual.

"Do you feel sick?"

"No," I sighed.

"Do you need me?"

"Just some sleep," I said as he hummed.

"Glad to know you don't need me," he said, hanging up on me.

I blinked at the phone in confusion for a moment before sighing and snuggling into the covers. I knew he was mad, but there was nothing I could do about it. The smartest thing to do now was get as much sleep as possible before he came home, and beg for forgiveness then. Something had set him off, and I knew that nothing I could say would help.

"Time to get up, now!" Edward said loudly as I jumped out of bed.

"Oh, you're home early," I said smiling, my heart racing.

He had scared the crap out of me.

"I'm late, actually," he snapped.

I looked at the clock to see it was seven at night. I couldn't believe I had slept for so long.

"I didn't know it was so late," I apologized.

"I can tell. You did nothing today!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll do extra tomorrow," I said, hoping to appease him.

"Like it matters. It's not like you need me."

"Stop that! I always need you. I'm sorry for today, I was just tired," I said as I stretched.

"What are you going to do once the baby is here? You won't be able to sleep all day," he said, throwing on some sweats.

"I know. I'm sorry," I said as I felt tears fill my eyes. "Would you like me to make our plates?"

"Just one plate," he said as I nodded.

I guess I lost the privilege of feeding myself. I knew me needing him was something he needed to not only hear but to physically see as well, so I would happily give it to him. During dinner, I asked for every bite of food, and thanked him for feeding us afterwards. I also placed his hand on my stomach once we were finished eating, and told him that our baby was thriving and growing because he kept the both of us well nourished.

That night, I showed my husband my need and gratitude for him in all the ways a wife would show her spouse.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

Soon, school ended and summer began. I was officially a senior in high school, but more importantly, I was that much closer to becoming a mother to a baby girl. Once we had found out we were having a girl, we began shopping for her like crazy. Within a day, we had most of what we needed for her, and we were both over the moon. Life couldn't get much better.

Well, that was until there was a knock on our front door. Edward and I were cuddled on the couch for the night, and he was rubbing my belly that was now very prominent when we were interrupted.

"Hey, guys," Edward said cheerfully.

I got up and headed to see who our company was. I smiled when I saw three of his fellow officers.

"Oh, I didn't know you were all coming over. Would you like something to drink?" I asked, giving them all a smile as they walked over the threshold.

"That won't be necessary, Bella. We're here on official business," Emmett said as I cocked my head to the side. The officer I had never met stepped forward and I backed away.

"I'm sorry, Man," Jasper said sadly.

"Edward, Bella, you both need to come down to the station for questioning," the officer I didn't know said.

"For what?" Edward asked in a harsh tone.

"Man, this is bad," Emmett said, shaking his head.

"For what?" Edward asked again through clenched teeth.

"Kidnapping, taking a minor over state lines, and...murder..."

* * *

Now that can't be good…and now you have to wait till next Monday to find out what happened. Did any of you see that one coming?

Thanks for all the reviews they are amazing and we love them all! Also a huge thank you goes out to my girls for all the help they have given!


	21. Chapter 21

As Jasper gestured towards the front door, I felt like I was hyperventilating. I had no clue as to why they would want to question us about kidnapping or a murder. Edward seemed calm, but I was falling apart.

"Can I have one minute with my wife please?" Edward asked his friends.

Thank God we were at least dealing with his coworkers, rather than someone that might actually put us in handcuffs.

"Yeah, you may want her to change," Emmett suggested, looking up and down at my outfit.

I covered myself subconsciously as Edward glared at Emmett, who simply shrugged.

"Just give us two minutes," Edward snapped.

They nodded as Edward pulled us up the stairs and into our bedroom. I stood by our bed and trembled as Edward closed our door before locking it securely behind him. I looked on helplessly as he dug through our dressers and brought out a more suitable outfit for me. My pajama shorts and tiny tank top were not "office" material.

"I'm scared," I whispered once he was in front of me.

I closed my eyes as he took my face gently in his hands, pressing a light kiss to my forehead.

"How did we meet?" he asked suddenly.

My eyes popped open as I smiled up at him. It had been awhile since he had asked me that.

"When you were out of town for a Police convention," I recited perfectly.

"Where, what state?" he asked quickly as he pulled my tank top over my head.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I thought about his question, goose bumps breaking across my skin as his lips skimmed over my left breast before he gently brought my arms through my bra straps.

"Um…" I started to say, but I wasn't quick enough to answer.

"Portland, Oregon. Remember that," Edward said as he turned me so he could hook the bra. "We spent time alone in the cabin for a week, remember?"

I didn't. I had no idea what he was talking about. What cabin?

"Yeah," I said, knowing that it was expected of me to go along with it, "and we had a nice drive back here to Forks that."

I looked up at Edward to see him giving me an indulgent smile. "That's right," he chuckled, pulling up my yoga pants and giving my bottom a firm squeeze. "I want you to remember something, though," he said roughly while pulling me into his arms. "It's no one's business how we are here in the privacy of our own home. You do not have to, and will not, share information about how you are punished or that you even receive punishments. It's not wrong," he assured me, "but people won't understand. And they will take you away from me and take our baby away from you. Is that something that you want?"

I gasped in horror as my hands immediately went to protect my stomach. "Of course not!"

Edward stared intently into my eyes for a moment before he nodded and dipped down to brush his lips against mine. "Then keep our private life private."

"Yes, Edward," I murmured against his lips.

I wouldn't do or say anything to jeopardize our happiness with our child. When we went back downstairs and saw the people that my husband considered his friends, dressed in their uniforms and wearing grim expressions, I felt any hope deflate inside me. I vaguely heard Edward addressing his partners, but my mind was too far gone to pay attention to what was being said. The only thing I registered was Edward's arm around my waist as he led the both of us out to one of the cruisers that were waiting in our driveway.

As the door closed behind us, I burrowed my face into Edward's neck and sobbed as Emmett drove us to the station in silence.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

When we first walked into the station, pandemonium broke out across the floor, but when the door closed behind us, all eyes were on us and silence reigned supreme. If there were crickets, you would have heard them chirping. We were suddenly accosted by three men in uniforms that didn't match the Forks uniforms, and a woman with blonde hair in a professional outfit.

"Mrs. Cullen," she said briskly, "you can come with me."

I immediately started shaking my head no and backed up into Edward, who had somehow gotten behind me.

"I don't want to go," I whispered.

I turned back to look up at Edward as his hand descended on my belly. "Everything is going to be fine," he whispered. "Just tell them what they want to know."

I shook my head again and looked at him pleadingly. "Don't make me do this without you," I begged.

Edward looked at me for a moment before pulling me slightly away from the crowd that had gathered around us. "Say it," he demanded softly so that the others would not hear us.

"You are all I have," I said immediately. "You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said before wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing my lips to his. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Baby," he whispered before standing up straight again and gesturing for me to go with the blonde woman.

I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and nodded to the woman that I was ready. With only one backwards glance, I followed her into an office and took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs as she shut the door behind us.

"Hi, Isabella. I'm Doctor Hale. How are you?" she asked me kindly as she took a seat in front of me.

I stared at her for a moment; I was sure I looked like a fish out of water. Did she really ask how I was? I couldn't bring myself to answer such a stupid question.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked, changing tactics.

"I'm fine. Thank you though," I said as I mindlessly rubbed a hand over my stomach.

"How far along are you?"

"Sixteen weeks," I said smiling.

"Do you know what you are having?" she asked, her voice changing dramatically — like she actually cared.

"The doctor said they are pretty sure it's a girl," I said, smiling slightly.

I had to give it to her: she knew how to get me to open up. I could talk about my child all the time.

"Have you thought about names?" she questioned, taking a sip of her steaming coffee.

"Um...Edward and I have talked about it, but he doesn't like any of the ones I've come up with so far," I shrugged.

"What are some of your ideas?"

Realizing that I was playing into her hands, I stopped for a moment to get a good look at her. She seemed so calm and composed, and like she was genuinely interested in our child, but I knew that couldn't be the case. She was here for one thing, and one thing only and that was to put my husband and possibly me behind bars. I'll be damned if she was going to use me to do that.

"Why am I here?" I asked tiredly. "And why am I speaking to a doctor and not an Officer?"

"Well, there are a lot of people that think Edward kidnapped you," she said, getting straight to the point, "and I'm a child psychologist. They called me in for your special case."

"Why?" I asked flabbergasted. "Who would think such a thing?!"

I was so upset at the fact that someone thought Edward had kidnapped me, that I barely registered what she had said after that.

"A neighbor saw him forcing you in his car," she said as I laughed.

"This is unreal!" I said throwing my hands in the air. "I wanted to go with Edward. I love him. And what do you mean 'special case'? I'm a grown woman! Why would I need to speak with a child psychologist?"

"You're a special case because we feel that we are dealing with a kidnapping. And grown woman or not, you are still a minor," she countered. "You are a child that was forced into a grownup's world, and it's my job to make sure you get your childhood back."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm going to be having my own child soon," I said heatedly, gesturing towards my stomach. "The last thing I want is my own childhood."

"What date did you meet?" she asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

Date? Did she really expect me to remember that? Did people even remember those kinds of trivial things?

"I don't know the exact date," I said frustrated, rubbing my forehead. I could feel a headache coming on. "Last year sometime."

"I always found it a girl thing to remember dates," she said pensively. "I remember the date I had my first kiss, and the exact date that my first boyfriend asked me to be his girlfriend," she said as I shrugged again.

"I have more important things to remember than dates," I snapped. "I'm finishing school with honors; I have a home and husband to take care of, and a baby on the way. So yeah, I have a lot more going on than remembering dates."

I leaned forward in my seat, knowing that my face was flushed in anger. What was the big deal about that date?

"I see," she said, looking down to her paper. "How did you and Edward meet?"

"He was in Portland for a police convention, and as soon as we met, we knew we couldn't be away from each other," I recited perfectly, leaning back in my seat once more.

I wondered briefly where Edward was and what kind of interrogation he was going through right now. I also smiled to myself, knowing that he would be proud of me for remembering what I was supposed to remember, and not messing this up.

"Where were you the first time you met him?" she asked next.

I opened my mouth but closed it almost immediately afterwards. Where was I? I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at her defiantly for a moment.

"I really don't want to talk about this. My relationship with my husband is no one's business."

There — that was a good enough answer.

"Okay, we can move on," she said sweetly…almost too sweetly. "Isabella, did you know your father was murdered?"

I inhaled sharply and felt my face drain of color. Murdered? Killed? By who?

"Seriously?" I asked, needing to know.

"Yes; he was beaten to death and tortured," she said as my eyes watered.

I didn't understand why I felt sad. I cleared my throat a couple of times before I could speak.

"I don't know what you want me to say," I replied honestly.

"How does that make you feel, knowing that the man who raised you is dead?" she asked.

"I don't know. I feel like I want to cry, but I cry about everything," I replied.

"It's okay to feel sad. He was your father."

Hearing her words made me see red. "HA! He hated me. He used to beat me whenever he could. Everyone knew what kind of man he was, and yet Edward was the only one to help me," I said as my tears finally came. "He hated me, and he never let me forget it. So no, to me it's not okay to cry for a man that made my life completely miserable. Not knowing if I were strong enough to survive day to day."

I snatched a tissue off the desk and wiped at my eyes angrily.

"Your father was killed when you left town...how do you think that looks?" she asked with concern.

"We didn't kill my father. Edward would never kill anyone and he's a cop. I just don't see it," I retorted.

"When you and Edward left, were his knuckles cut up?" she asked as I thought hard.

"No, I don't think so."

"When did you leave Portland?"

"I don't remember the exact date," I said through my teeth.

"Where did you meet him? Did you meet through your father, or at the grocery store?" she asked as I bounced my leg in agitation.

What was it to her where we met? I failed to see how any of this was relevant to a dead man.

"I don't know why any of this matters! Edward is the only person I have had in my life that cared about me. I went with him willingly and my father knew about it!" I half yelled.

"When is the last time you remember seeing your father?" she asked as I covered my face. I couldn't remember anything specific.

"Um...the morning before I left Portland, I guess," I said as I rubbed my temples.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"What time is it?" I asked, blowing off her last question altogether. I had answered enough of her questions; surely she could answer one of mine.

"Eleven fifteen," she said as I nodded. I knew it was late. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm tired. It's past my bed time," I said as I yawned.

"You have a bed time?"

"Yes, we go to bed at the same time every night…well most of the time," I said.

We were always in bed by ten, but didn't always go to sleep right away. We were married after all.

"What's an average day like for you?" she asked as I smiled. This was something I could talk about.

"Since I got pregnant, we get up at six to shower, and then I make breakfast. If I'm not feeling well, though, Edward will make something. If I'm not sick, I stay up and clean the house. When I'm done, I'll read or take a nap. I cook dinner so it is on the table by the time he gets home, and then we do whatever he wants for the rest of the night," I said easily.

I thought that was a pretty good explanation of our day.

"Do you talk or hang out with your friends?" she asked.

"Alice is my only friend, but I'm married, so friends aren't exactly a priority for me," I explained.

"Everyone needs someone, Isabella," she said condescendingly, as if she was talking to a small child. She didn't sound mean, but I didn't like it.

"I talk with Esme, but she has her own house to worry about, so I don't bother her very much. Some days Edward allows us to spend the day together."

"Do you have to ask him if you want to do something or go somewhere?"

"Well, yeah, he's my husband," I said confidently. I had come to the conclusion that she wasn't married.

"What happens if you don't ask?"

"I've never, not asked," I said proudly. "I'm really tired. Are we done now?"

"Almost. I only have a few more questions for you," she said quickly. I had a feeling the questions were going to get harder.

"Does Edward hit you?"

"No!" I said harshly.

"Does he punish you in other ways?"

"No."

"Does he force you to have sex with him?"

"What the — No!" I exclaimed in exasperation.

"What would happen if the house wasn't clean, or if you didn't ask for permission for something?" she questioned.

I pressed my lips into a tight line and stared at her stonily. It wasn't her business.

"Why do you avoid my questions?"

I didn't blink. Anger coursed through my body, and I could feel my heart rate accelerating. I avoid your questions, Ms. Bitch, because they're stupid, and are a waste of time. I was very much over everything that was going on.

"I'm ready to leave. I'm tired and I need to go to bed," I said as I stood up.

"Just tell me one thing…" she said, waiting to gage my reaction. "Where did you meet?" I didn't get why she kept asking me such a thing. I simply stared at her until she shook her head.

"I think we have everything we need."

I huffed under my breath and moved to the door as fast as I could. I didn't like being in such a small room. Especially with her. Just as I walked out of the room, I saw Edward with his hands cuffed behind his back, another officer standing beside him, holding on to his shoulder.

"Edward!" I yelled as I ran to him. "What's going on?" I asked as tears coursed down my face. There was no way to keep them in any longer. Not after seeing him in handcuffs.

I could hear him talking, but it was like the sound was cut off from me. All I could hear was the pounding in my ears. I couldn't even move to comfort him.

"Everything is going to be okay, Baby," he said soothingly.

I watched in a trance as Emmett came up beside us and grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket. They spoke silently to one another while I watched on in horror. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not ever.

"Baby!" Edward yelled, waking me up from my stupor.

"The pin to the card is our home number," he said urgently. "Call Dad."

With that, he gave me a parting kiss before the officers led him away. I didn't realize I was sobbing until I felt a strong arm around me.

"Where are they taking him? Is he going to be home tonight? I was good!" I cried to Emmett as he pulled me into a hug.

"Stop talking," Emmett whispered for only me to hear. "I'll take you home and you can call Carlisle on the way."

"I don't have anything. I don't have my keys or my phone," I cried. "He didn't do anything, I swear."

"I'm sure Carlisle has an extra set. Let's get you out of here." I nodded my head as Emmett began to lead us to the same door that they had just led my husband out of.

Tears were still falling silently as we walked, but the closer we got to the door, the more I could almost taste the freedom on my tongue.

"Isabella, I have a few more questions for you," Doctor Hale said from behind us urgently. "I can come by your home tomorrow."

"I don't have anything else to say to you," I said, hiccupping as I turned by back and walked quickly out the door.

Emmett was hot on my heels as we made our way to his car. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Carlisle as he opened up the passenger door for me. He explained to me that Edward was being transported to Portland. I took the phone from him gratefully and tried to hold back my tears as the phone began to ring. It seemed like it took forever for him to answer.

"Hello?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Carlisle!" I cried.

Not able to hold back like I had hoped, a new wave of tears flooded through me.

"Bella?! What's wrong?" he asked quickly, his voice sounding strained.

"Edward was arrested!" I wailed. "I don't know what to do. They are taking him to Portland tonight, but he has to stay there! I don't have my keys or my phone or anything."

"Honey, you need to calm down," Carlisle said as I heard Esme's concerned voice in the background. "Is Emmett there with you?"

"Yes," I said through my sobs. "I know I'm being a cry baby, but I don't know what to do."

"We will meet you at your house," he said as he disconnected.

I sniffed as I handed Emmett back his phone. "They are going to meet me at my house," I told him.

"Bella, these charges are not going to stick. I swear to you. They can't do anything," Emmett said confidently.

"If that's true, then why did they take him?" I whispered.

"I don't know, but I'm sure whatever it is can't be proven," he told me. I was so tired, and crying wasn't helping any.

When we arrived at the house, Carlisle wasn't there yet. I got out of the car silently and went to sit on the porch swing. I just couldn't be in the car anymore. Emmett followed behind me and sat down, saying nothing, only offering his presence as company. I knew he had something to say, but whatever it was, he was keeping it to himself. It felt like we sat there forever before my in-laws showed up. They rushed out of the car, and by then, I was all cried out to the point where I felt almost numb. Esme wrapped her arms around me, crying softly. As I stayed in Esme's embrace, I felt a large hand on my back.

"Go inside and pack a bag and we will get one the road," Carlisle said as he rubbed my back.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I pulled away from the hug.

"Portland."

~~~AOMM~~~

The ride to Portland didn't seem long, but I slept the whole time. We got to our hotel in the early morning, and I didn't even bother changing out of our clothes before we all passed out. Carlisle got us one room with two suites, so I had my own bedroom with a King sized bed. I had never felt more alone. The stay in the hotel seemed to be weeks long instead of days, and we were all going a bit stir crazy waiting to see if Edward would make bail.

None of us had been able to get a hold of him, and all Carlisle could find out was that Edward was in his own holding cell, but with the courts backed up here in Portland, it was taking longer than usual to get him in to see a Judge. I was very lucky to have such supportive in-laws to help me through this difficult time. Esme never failed to offer me her physical comfort, and Carlisle was keeping memories of Edward at the front and center of my mind throughout the day. It truly helped.

"You know Edward, you know your husband, my son," he said one afternoon. "You know he would never kill someone. He saved you from a horrible man. The man who was called your father used to beat you, used to watch you sleep as he touched himself. Your disgusting father used to chat with his buddies about how he abused you, and they all found it humorous. He used to talk with his buddies about who was taking you when you were of age."

The tears would fell when Carlisle would talk about these things, causing me to miss Edward more and more. He had saved me from a terrible fate, and I would never be able to repay him, though I knew I would spend the rest of my life trying.

"Edward saved you, showed you love, and gave you a child. Edward is nothing like your father. What happens in your house behind closed doors is the stuff no one needs to know. If you were to tell anyone about anything that happened, you would be put in the closet for days, you would be spanked several times a day," he threatened, "and worst of all, your baby would be taken away from you and put with another family. The scary part about that is that people like your father are foster families."

That was what I heard over and over for two days, and I was scared — no, horrified — that I was just going to make things worse in the end.

Sunday afternoon we heard a knock on the door. Esme and I stayed put, knowing better than to answer the door, but both straining to hear who was here. We both looked to the front of the suite when we heard Carlisle raising his voice. Next thing we knew, he was walking into the sitting room with Doctor Hale and an officer close behind him.

"Isabella, you aren't in any trouble, I just need you to come with me for a little while, and then I will bring you right back here," Doctor Hale said as I shook my head no.

I looked over at Carlisle to see his jaw clenched, his fists balled up at his sides.

"This is a court order saying you need to speak with me. If you don't, this officer is going to arrest you."

Esme gasped beside me as I threw myself into her arms and practically crawled into her lap.

"Please don't make me go," I cried softly to her.

I felt her arms wrap around me and knew she was crying as well.

"We don't have a choice," she whispered. "It's going to be okay. I promise you, everything will be fine."

"Give us a minute to get her ready," Carlisle snapped.

I didn't look up at the intruders, but held onto Carlisle's hand tightly as he led us to the room I was staying in.

"Bella, get your shoes on," Carlisle said softly as he closed the door behind us.

Get my…was he serious?

"Why?! I don't want to go! I thought you were on my side!" I yelled at him, knowing good and well that I was in the wrong. "I'm sorry," I said quickly, bowing my head.

"Let's get your shoes," Esme said after a moment of silence.

"I don't want to go," I whispered as she sat me down on the bed and handed me my tennis shoes.

"Bella, this is one of the things we have to do that we don't want to. You don't have to say much, but you need to make them understand how much Edward means to you and how he takes care of you. This is your chance to tell them how good he is to you," she said, running her fingers through my hair. "You can do this. They want to lock your husband — my son — up, and I know neither one of us want that. What are you going to do if that happens?"

"He didn't do anything," I said nervously.

"Right, and this is your chance to prove that," she said with a smile.

I smiled back hesitantly and nodded my head, feeling better about needing to leave with the doctor and officer. Esme was right: this was my chance to clear my husband's name, and I was going to do what I had to for the love of my life.

"I'm ready," I said as I picked up Edward's hoodie from the foot of my bed. It smelled like him, and that brought me comfort.

I gave Esme a hug and then turned to Carlisle. I knew he was mad at me for yelling at him, and I didn't blame him. When he hugged me, I felt a pinch to the back of my arm, and that was all the warning I needed. That told me that I was on thin ice.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"Behave," he warned as I pulled away.

I nodded as he pulled open the bedroom door and led us back out to the sitting area, where the other two were waiting for me. I waved goodbye sadly as Doctor Hale held the door for me. Once we were outside, the officer went one way, and we went the other.

"Thank you for coming willingly," she said as I rolled my eyes.

"Go with you or go to jail…not a hard choice," I said, more snarky than I meant to be.

"Very true. So I was thinking that instead of going to the station, you could show me your old house," she said as my blood ran cold.

"I really don't want to go there."

"Well, I think it will help you talk to me," she countered as we got in the car.

"I don't want to go to that house," I said again as I clung to Edward's hoodie.

"I think you need to. I don't think you remember enough of your life here. You only left a year ago, and you can't tell me anything. That throws up red flags for me."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to know what happened last year," she said as she drove.

"The best part of last year was meeting Edward and moving to Forks."

"Where did you meet him? When was the first time you saw him?" she pressed.

I rolled my eyes and turned my head so that I was looking out my window. I couldn't answer her because I couldn't remember, and I didn't understand it. I wasn't going to tell her that, though, because I knew that, in her mind, it would just prove her point. I was here for one reason only, and that was to clear my husband's name, not to answer her ridiculous questions. Besides, surely I would remember if Edward kidnapped me, right? I heard her hum when I didn't say anything, and I knew she was judging me.

The rest of the drive was quiet. I had nothing to say to her, and I didn't want to say the wrong thing anyway. It was best to just remain silent. I was really starting to stress myself out, and I rubbed my belly to try to help me calm down. If there was one thing in this world besides Edward's arms that could calm me down, it was the presence of our child.

"So I know you said that you and Edward haven't come up with any names yet, but what were some of your ideas?" she asked as we turned on to a quiet street.

"Well, I like common names. I was thinking Sarah, Jamie, or Heather, but he wants her name to be a little different. It's funny, because he hasn't come up with any," I said with a small laugh. "I asked for a baby book."

"That would help you greatly," she said with a small laugh. "You look very excited to be mom."

"I am. I can't wait to meet her."

"Do you feel you and Edward are equals?" she asked as I finally looked to her.

"Yes," I said slowly.

"What does he do around the house?"

"He does the yard work, and if I'm not feeling well, he will pick up my slack around the house," I explained.

"That's very old fashioned, don't you think?"

"No; I like the way we are," I said honestly. Our whole life worked for us. "What do you hope to gain from this?" I asked her.

"I want to make sure you are okay."

"I'm great," I said with a sigh. "I'm so happy. I love my life, and I have a great family now."

"That's great, but at what cost?"

"I don't understand. I didn't give up anything," I said angrily.

"Isabella, you went from a high school kid with perfect grades and living with your father, to a married woman in a matter of months. Wasn't that a little fast to you?" she asked.

"No. It's what I wanted."

I pressed my lips together to stop from laughing out loud as her face morphed from concern to anger in a split second. I was happy that she finally stopped talking. I knew she was trying to get to me to say something bad about my husband, but I didn't have one bad thing to say. We pulled up to what I assumed was my father's house, and I stared at it through the window. I didn't know what I was going to feel, but honestly I really didn't feel anything. I was kind of bored, actually. I was just waiting for the next day to pass so we could go home. At least, I hoped we were able to go home.

"What were your days like here?" she asked, pointing to the little house.

"Awful," I replied instantly.

It was the only word that came to mind.

"I don't want to go in."

"I want you to see your room, and then we'll leave, and I will bring you back to the hotel," she promised as I nodded. I knew there would be no use in arguing. She wasn't going to stop until she got what she wanted, and if all she wanted was a quick trip to a dusty old bedroom, then I would give her that.

We got out of the car, and I waited for her to reach my side before we headed towards the front door. I tried to keep my face straight, but being in the house turned my stomach and I felt the need to run away. I didn't want to be here. As we walked through the door, it was obvious that no one had been taking care of the house while I was gone. Dust was everywhere and even floating through the air. The house smelled stale and like moths, and the floors were covered in a layer of dust that left footprints wherever we walked. We made our way into the kitchen and I looked at the chairs. One was pulled out to the side and it bothered me, so I push it back in. I let my feet carry me to the living room, but I didn't cross the threshold. I really didn't want to be in the house. I didn't like it, and it made me feel sick.

"How does it feel knowing that this is your house?" she asked.

I tore my gaze away from the recliner and looked back at her confused.

"What?" I asked.

"This is your house, Isabella. It was paid for, so it's yours to do with as you see fit."

The news shocked me, so I just nodded without answering her question. Edward would know what to do.

"Chief Black, your Father's best friend and co-worker, set up an account for you with your insurance money in it as well. I have the card here for you," she said, handing me an envelope.

I opened it to see a deposit slip with an insane amount of money. I didn't know he was so wealthy.

"How does the money make you feel?" she questioned as she saw my expression.

"I don't care about money," I whispered, looking up and closing the envelope again.

And I didn't. Edward would know what to do with it.

"Can I see Edward now?"

"No," she said sadly. "If you wanted to, you could have a really great life. You and your daughter could live like royalty."

"I don't want that," I said angrily while stamping my foot. "I want my husband and my life in Forks."

"Do you plan on finishing school?"

"Yes," I snapped as I climbed the stairs.

She wanted me to see my old room, so I was determined to look at it and then leave. I was over all this bullshit. As soon as I opened the door, I felt something, but I didn't know what. I looked around the small room and shivered, and I didn't know if it was bad or good.

"You didn't take much with you. The closet is full of clothes, and there are a ton of books. Didn't you want any of your things?" she asked as I shrugged.

I walked to the table beside the bed and opened the drawer. I didn't know what overcame me, but something told me to look in there. I found a small notebook and I knew I wanted it.

"This is all stuff," I said as I walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house.

I was grateful when Doctor Hale didn't stop me, knowing that I would probably blow up at her and ruin everything. The feelings that were inside of me were like nothing I had ever felt before. I was sad, but I was more devastatingly angry. I didn't know why, though. I was grateful that the ride back to the hotel was quiet. Hale didn't say a word to me, and as soon as we pull up to the hotel, I was out of the car. I walked quickly away from her, and as soon as I was in the lobby, I felt like I could breathe again. I looked at everything in my hands and sat in a chair in front of the front desk. I opened the notebook; I needed to have for some reason and I started to read.

~~~AOMM~~~

I sat on the hard wooden bench and picked at my fingernails nervously. When my right ring finger began to bleed lightly, I quickly stopped and began bouncing my foot on the hardwood floor beneath me instead.

"Relax, Dear," Esme said quietly, placing her hand on my knee gently to get me to stop my fidgeting.

I nodded my head but said nothing in return. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I might hurl all over everything. Esme clicked her tongue, and I looked over to see her shaking her head, giving me a sad smile.

"Don't go injuring yourself, now," she chided gently, lifting the finger that had started to bleed.

I watched as she took a tissue out of her purse and wet the tip of it with her tongue before gently applying it to the bleeding area to make it stop. Her hands were warm as they covered my own, and I leaned onto her arm, grateful for her presence. Once the bleeding had stopped to her satisfaction, she brought out a Band-Aid and wrapped it around my finger, pressing a soft kiss to the tip.

"There," she whispered. "All better."

"Thank you, Mom," I smiled.

I curled into her side on the uncomfortable bench as she wrapped one arm around my shoulders, allowing me the comfort that I so desperately needed at this time. On her other side sat Carlisle, and as I caught his eye, he offered me his hand which I took eagerly in my own, squeezing his palm in thanks.

"Are you ready for this, Isabella?" he whispered, looking around us to make sure no one was listening in.

"I think so," I said with a frown.

"Good girl," he praised, lifting my hand to his lips and giving my fingers a kiss.

Our attention was diverted then as they called for us to enter the courtroom. I was sure that my knees would give out on me at any moment, but I managed to hold out for those few seconds until we were granted the opportunity to sit once again. But then my breath caught in my throat and I whimpered softly, causing Esme to grab my hand once more in support. He was here. His orange jump suit made him stick out like an alien in a room full of humans, and his hair was more crazy than usual. Here was the man that had haunted my dreams; the man that changed everything for me. He was all I had. He was all I needed. He was my life.

I nervously began to play with the ring on my left hand, twirling it around my finger by the diamond. I kept my eyes trained on the back of his head, not even listening to the chatter surrounding us. Suddenly, he looked around and his piercing green eyes found mine. My heart raced and my palms became sweaty. Only he could have that effect on me. My husband, my Edward.

Well we have reached the prologue. What do you all think?

Thanks to Sally for all her wonderful help! Thanks to all that have taken the time to review! I love hearing you theories, concerns, and questions. Please don't think I am ignoring you, but right now I just can't answer your questions. I know a lot of you want to hear from Edward, but I don't see it happening…not yet anyway.

See you next week!


	22. Chapter 22

Well, here in NY it is still Monday! Lol. There was no school here today, so I have had an odd Monday. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

We own nothing but the plot.

"Please rise."

I jumped slightly at the deep voice that resonated through the courtroom. The words were spoken, but didn't seem to register in my mind at that moment. It wasn't until Esme nudged my arm that I realized I wasn't standing like the Officer had demanded. Following the lead of my in-laws, I quickly stood, only to be told to be seated once more.

I watched in somewhat fascination, somewhat mortification as an older gentleman in a long, billowing, black robe swept into the courtroom and sat down behind his huge, wooden desk. This was the man that would determine the fate of my family.

"How do you plead?" the Judge asked.

"Not guilty, Your Honor," Edward said strongly.

I smiled slightly at his determination and bravery. He sounded okay, and that was what I needed to hear in order to remain strong.

"What do you recommend?" the Judge asked as the prosecutor stood.

"We ask that he be remanded —"

"We think that is a little overboard, Your Honor," Edward's lawyer cut in. "Mr. Cullen is a respected member of his community. He is married with a child on the way. We also have a motion to dismiss the charges of kidnapping and taking a minor over state lines. We have a written affidavit from one of your fellow judges stating that Charles Swan gave Edward Cullen full guardianship of Isabella Cullen willingly."

The officer of the court walked to Edward's table and took the papers that were presented. The Judge took a minute to look over the papers before speaking.

"I have no choice to dismiss the charges..."

"Your Honor, Doctor Hale is with the FBI, and has spoken with Isabella herself. She feels that Isabella was taken against her will and is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Isabella could not tell her where or how she met her husband, and she refused to give details of their life together," the prosecutor said as Edward's lawyer stood.

"That is hearsay. I have listened to the interview between Mrs. Cullen and Doctor Hale, and Isabella clearly stated on numerous occasions that she wasn't taken against her will," he said.

"I agree," the Judge said. "The charges of kidnapping and taking a minor across state lines are dismissed."

I let out a breath I was holding. One less charge against my husband.

"We still ask that he be held without bail, Your Honor. There is currently the charge of murder pending against him. Charles Swan was found beaten to death in his home. We also request that the courts allow us to look into brainwashing. We believe that for one reason or another, Isabella Cullen was brainwashed," the prosecutor argued.

"She went willingly; why would there be any brainwashing involved?" Edward's attorney asked.

"I agree—" the judge started to say.

"We have proof, we just need more time to gather supporting evidence," the prosecutor said quickly.

The judge took a moment to gather his thoughts before he nodded his head slowly.

"Request granted. You have two weeks to bring me your evidence. I have seen everything that is against Mr. Cullen. Do you feel you have a case?" he asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," the prosecutor replied.

"Mr. Cullen is not a flight risk. He has served on the Forks Police Department for the last six years, and he has a clean record. He and his wife are expecting their first child this winter. We request bail," his lawyer argued.

"If Mr. Cullen agrees to wear an ankle monitor, and pays twenty-thousand dollars in bail, we will agree that he can return to his hometown. We also request that Doctor Hale be allowed unannounced visits to the Cullen home until the trial."

My eyes watered as I watched Edward and his lawyer speak quietly to one another. Unannounced visits from that evil woman? Surely Edward wouldn't agree to that.

"We agree to the terms," his lawyer said as the judge nodded.

I blinked as a tear made its way down my cheek. While I was relieved that my husband would be coming home with me, there were still so many hurdles left for us to overcome until all of this could be put behind us, allowing us to move forward with our lives.

"Okay, then. Edward Cullen, you will wear a monitor that will limit you to stay within your town limits. You will also have to pay the twenty-thousand dollars bail. As far as Doctor Hale showing up unannounced, it doesn't make sense to me," the Judge said.

"Your Honor, we feel that it will help with our case, and that Isabella and Mr. Cullen will both benefit from the time with Doctor Hale," the pushy man said.

I held my breath as the Judge pursed his lips. He didn't like the idea any more than I did. I failed to see how I could possibly benefit from that horrible woman encroaching on my personal space; it all sounded fishy to me.

"Fine, one visit per month until the trial or until I deem it unnecessary," he said as he slammed his gavel, ending the discussion and the hearing.

Esme grasped my hands in hers and whispered up a thank you prayer to whatever powers were above us. I turned and smiled at her, knowing that even though I was not happy with some of the stipulations, it could have been a lot worse. At least Edward would finally be coming home tonight instead of sleeping in a jail cell. We stood up as Edward was escorted out of the courtroom, making our way out the front to wait for him.

"Mrs. Cullen, Edward is being fitted now for his anklet. You just need to go down to the cashier to pay his bail, and then you will be able to go home," the lawyer said to me.

"Aro, when will the trial happen?" Carlisle asked as I stood back.

I was thankful that Carlisle was here to ask the questions that my brain would just not come up with on its own. I leaned into Esme's embrace and let the men hash out the details of my husband's upcoming trial, willing myself not to cry in relief or frustration.

"We will know that at a later date," he said, shaking Carlisle's hand, "but I wouldn't expect it to be before the arrival of your new grand-baby."

Esme squeezed my shoulder in reassurance as Carlisle bid his farewells before turning to us with a smile on his face.

"Let's go bail our boy out," Carlisle said as we followed him.

"You two go ahead and sit on the bench there," Carlisle instructed as we came to a place in the hallway where there were a few tellers helping others. "Bella, I want you to put your feet up. I'll go see what I can do about paying the bail."

I nodded and thanked him quietly as Esme led us over to the bench he had pointed out. I placed my head in her lap, put my feet up, and enjoyed the feel of her fingers in my hair. After Carlisle was with a clerk and paid Edward's bond, I began to feel hopeful that I would see my husband soon. As the hours passed, though, that hope diminished. I was falling asleep for short periods of time, only to be woken up by a nightmare that would cause me to jolt. After the third time of doing that, I finally admitted defeat and sat up, rubbing at my bleary eyes.

"Edward's coming," Esme whispered in my ear as she stood up.

I looked up excitedly to see my husband walking towards us in the same clothes he was wearing the night he was taken from me. Tears immediately flooded my eyes when I saw him, and as soon as he was close enough, I ran into his arms. Breathing in his scent heavily, I felt his own arms wrap around me like a cocoon. Not able to hold off any longer, I allowed my tears to flow freely, holding on to him in a death grip, afraid that if I let go for even a second, he would vanish.

"Look at me," Edward whispered. Taking my chin in his hand, he brought my head back so he could look me in the eyes. "I'm here. I'm never leaving you again," he vowed.

Our lips met briefly, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough now.

It wasn't until he turned me around so that we were facing his parents, when I realized that Dr. Hale was standing behind them, taking in the scene.

"I have so much to talk to you about," I said, sniffling.

"I'm sure you do. Right now, though, I want to take a shower and eat something," he said as he rubbed my belly. "You feel okay?"

"Yes; I'm so much better now," I said as I hugged him again.

Without a word, he brought his lips to mine, not caring that he just made bail or that we were in front of a bunch of people. All that he cared about was that we were together. He left one last lingering kiss on my lips before backing away gently, but pulling me in even closer by my waist. I smiled at him as he turned us back to face his parents.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

Before we could even walk a few feet, we were rudely stopped by the last person I think either of us wanted to see.

"Isabella," Doctor Hale said, steeping toward us. "I just wanted to give you the deed to your house."

Shakily, I took the offered papers from her with a brief nod in her direction. Edward's grip tightened on my hip, and I knew that he was at his boiling point for the day.

Realizing that she wasn't going to get anything else from me, she smiled sweetly. "We will talk again soon."

"Not if I can help it," I said under my breath as she stepped away.

Edward gently took the papers from me as we headed out the door with his parents. Sighing, I snuggled into his side as much as I could, knowing that the drama in our life was just beginning.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

I held onto Edward tightly the whole way back to the hotel. I was so happy to have him back. As soon as we bid his parents good night, he immediately stripped me out of my clothes, leading us to the shower.

"I need to wash this day off of us," he whispered, attacking my lips, his hands grabbing on firmly to my breasts.

I moaned into his kiss, not able to agree more with his logic. Knowing that being quiet was going to be impossible, I didn't bother to try to hold back my moans as I felt his length twitch against my thigh.

"I need you," I whimpered as he pulled us into the shower.

The warm water cascaded down my back, but I couldn't concentrate on anything other than my husband's hands that were currently gripping my bottom. Without another word, Edward pushed me against the wall of the shower, causing goose bumps to break out across my skin.

"This won't be gentle…or long," Edward warned right before he picked me up and thrust into me to the hilt.

I screamed out as my walls immediately clenched around him. My hands, unable to find a grip on the wet walls around me, found purchase on Edward's back, my nails digging into his flesh as he continued to pound into me. I could feel the tiles scraping against my skin, but I couldn't bring myself to care in that moment. The small bathroom heated up quickly, and I couldn't tell if it was sweat or water coursing down my back, nor did I care.

With one last cry, I came again around his cock as he twitched inside me, coating the insides of my walls with his seed.

"Fuck," Edward hissed, placing me on my feet slowly to make sure I had my balance. "This will never get old."

I giggled and leaned against his strong chest, willing my eyes to stay open. It had been a draining day emotionally, and after reconnecting with my husband like that, I was more than ready for bed. No words were spoken as Edward washed my body and hair, taking his time with rubbing all of my sore muscles. I knew that we had a lot to talk about, but right now, I was really enjoying the quiet that surrounded us. We had barely dressed and collapsed into bed when there was a knock on the door.

I giggled as Edward groaned and got back up from the bed. I heard whispering at the door, and then Edward rolled a tray of food into the room.

"Mom and Dad thought we might need to be nourished," Edward chuckled.

I shook my head with a slight smile. "Remind me to thank them later."

We ate in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts, occasionally shooting each other a smile. I sat on his lap while he fed me bites from both plates, my fingers running through the short hair at the back of his neck. Once we had our fill, he brought us over to the couch, placing me back on his lap, his arms wrapped around me securely.

"So," he began. "You own a house?"

"I guess," I shrugged. "I figured you would know how to sell it. I also have money."

I cringed as Edward's eyes narrowed and his grip around my middle tightened. I found the envelope and sat back on the couch before giving it to him. His face was emotionless as he read the amount that was in the bank.

"Well, we can pay back my parents for the bail money," he said, putting the bank slip in his wallet.

"Do you know how to sell a house?" I asked as he nodded his head.

"We will have to stay here an extra day or so, so we can get everything settled, though," he warned me.

"I understand. We can just get rid of everything in the house right? Maybe give it to people who need it? Everything is still in there."

"You've been there!?" he asked angrily.

"It's wasn't my choice!" I said quickly, trying to backtrack.

"Explain, now!" he said through clenched teeth.

"Doctor Hale made me go. She brought a police officer here and everything to arrest me if I refused to go with her," I said quickly. "I know she was trying to get me to say something bad about you, but I never did. Then she told me I had all this money and a house. She even said that my daughter and I could have a wonderful life, but I don't want any of it if the price I have to pay is losing you," I said as I started cry.

"Shh, Baby, it's okay. I will take care of you and our daughter. You will never lose me," he promised.

"This was the worst weekend ever."

"I know, Sweetheart, I know," he said as he rocked me gently.

No longer able to hold back my emotions, I let go and ended up crying myself to sleep. I guess I needed a good cry, because when I woke up, I felt so much better. I saw clothes at the end of the bed, and I dressed quickly before heading to the main room of the suite.

"Hey, Honey," Esme said as I sat next to her on the couch.

"Where's Edward?"

"He and Carlisle went to take care of some things before the end of the day," she said gently.

"I'm so glad because I had no idea what to do," I admitted with a small laugh.

"The boys will figure it all out," she laughed, handing me part of her blanket to share.

I curled into her side as we both stared at the show playing on the television. I could feel my eyes getting heavy, and knew that I would be asleep again soon. Later that night, Edward told me everything was being handled, and I signed the paperwork that he handed to me, no questions asked. I felt lighter knowing that I didn't have anything to worry about anymore. Portland was my past, and that was where I wanted it to stay.

Wednesday morning we were packed and ready to head home. Carlisle parked the car outside the front door, and I was waiting for them to pack the car so we could finally leave.

"Bella!" a sweet voice said happily.

I turned to see an older lady coming my way. I scrunched my brow in confusion at the sight of her. I knew her face, I just couldn't place it.

"How are you?" I asked somewhat hesitantly as she hugged me.

"I'm doing very well. You look wonderful," she said as she rubbed my belly.

I chuckled nervously while looking behind her to see if Edward was watching this weird exchange. "Thank you."

"How did school go for you?" she asked, holding my hands in hers.

Not wanting to seem rude and ask her just who in the world she was, I decided it would be easier to just go with her questions until Edward could come over and save me.

"Grade-wise it went well. I passed everything with flying colors, and I was even able to take an advanced English class," I smiled.

"Oh! I just knew you would excel in that class. I'm so happy you were able to take it," she said with a big smile. "Billy told me I could find you here, and I just had to see how you were doing."

I nodded along, pretending that I knew who she was talking about. The situation was becoming awkward, and I really wanted to leave this place behind me for good. I breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw Edward coming up from behind her.

"It was good to see you," I said gently. "And this gentleman here is my husband, Edward," I said he came up at that moment and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"It's very nice to meet you," Edward said with a prize winning smile.

"Oh, you, too, young man. Take care of this amazing girl. I'm so happy to see you so happy. It is something I have wanted to see for so long," she said with another smile. "I know Billy is around here somewhere. He wanted to say hi to you, as well. We were both so sorry to hear about your father. Sue gave him a beautiful service," she said as I kept my face as emotionless as I could.

I stiffened at the mention of my father, and was now more than ready to leave. I didn't want to meet this Billy person. Especially, if he was another friend of that evil man.

"Thank you," I said stiffly.

"Oh, Billy, over here!" the woman called.

I groaned into my husband's shirt, wishing that I could just walk away and never look back. Unfortunately at that moment, an older man walked over to us with a timid smile.

"Hello, Bella," he said, staring intently.

It was like he was trying to see inside my mind or something. It was scary, and I was more than freaked out.

"Hi," I whispered, taking a step back until I was practically behind Edward.

Luckily, Carlisle called out to us then, bringing our attention to him.

"We really have a long drive a head of us," Carlisle said as he opened the back door of the car.

That was our cue.

"It was good to see you again," I said to the woman, practically dragging Edward behind me as I got into the back of the car.

Edward quickly slid in beside me and hugged me to him. I turned my head to see the woman again, and my eyes narrowed when I saw that she and the man were talking with Doctor Hale. That woman really knew how to piss me off.

"Who was that woman, Sweetie?" Esme asked.

"I have no clue," I said quietly as Edward let out sigh. "She was nice enough though."

"She was," Edward said, kissing my head softly.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~

Once we were home, things seemed to get back to normal fairly quickly. Edward was suspended from his work — without pay —until further notice. He took his last week of vacation that he had saved up, and explained that it was all he could use for his leave of absence. He also told me that we would be fine with the money we had, and I trusted him.

A lot seemed to happen throughout the rest of the summer. Edward wasn't able to take me to the beach house, but he did take me on a picnic at a small lake in Forks. We had a lot of fun, and I was extremely happy. We laid on a blanket in the rare sunlight, and we both felt our little girl move for the first time. We did that a lot. We would just lie around and wait for her to move. Most of the time, she would only move when we were ready to go to sleep. Everything was going great with the pregnancy and I was grateful. Her heartbeat was strong, and when we had the sonogram, we could see how much she had grown. They even confirmed that she was definitely a girl. The doctor said that my weight gain was right on track, and that my blood pressure was perfect. I had just a little over three months to go and I couldn't wait. We had her room all set, but I had already changed it around twice, and I was sure I would do it again before she arrived.

I was in the middle of cleaning one day when the door bell sounded. I dumped what I had in the dustpan just as I heard Edward jog down the stairs. He had been planning for me to be home-schooled, and I was more than happy that I didn't have to go back to that awful high school. Just as I made it to the front room, I heard a voice that I didn't want to hear…Doctor Hale.

"May I come in?" she asked sweetly.

"Not like we have a choice," Edward said, stepping aside.

I rolled my eyes and went back to the kitchen before they knew I was there. I was in the middle of wiping down the counters when they walked in.

"Baby, Doctor Hale is here," Edward said stiffly.

I turned around scowling, not saying a word.

"Oh, wow! Your belly has grown! I hope everything is going well," Dr. Hale said as if we were good friends.

Unable to answer her without lashing out, I instead wrapped my arms around my middle, trying to hide myself from her.

"Just ask what you need to and leave!" I snapped.

"Bella, don't be rude," Edward said disapprovingly. "Would you like something to drink? My wife makes the best lemonade in the world," he said to the good doctor.

"That would be lovely, Edward, thank you," she said kindly.

Her attitude, that she was an actual wanted guest in our home, made me grit my teeth. Instead of getting her the lemonade, I turned back around to finish unloading the dishwasher.

"Bella, I brought you a gift."

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply through my nose. Instead of answering, I continued with my chores.

"Please excuse my wife. I've never seen her act so rudely before," Edward said in a tone that only I knew was meant as a warning to me.

"It's expected; she and I didn't get off to such a good start. You both have a lovely home," Dr. Hale went on to say.

I didn't understand why she was acting as if she was excited to see us. Neither Edward nor I answered her out loud, but Edward must have acknowledged her in some way.

"Bella told me before that the two of you were old fashioned in a way," she said, looking for Edward to explain things.

"I guess that was just the way I was brought up," Edward said easily.

Once the dishes were put away, I turned to listen to them talk. "It really works well for the both of us."

"Now that you aren't working, what have you been up to?" she asked as I rolled my eyes.

Nothing she was asking was any of her business.

"Not much," he laughed dryly. "The yard and garage have never looked better."

"Say what you need to and get out!" I snapped again suddenly, clenching my teeth.

"Isabella, I know you don't want me here, but the longer you resist me, the longer my visit is going to be. Did you read the notebook you took from your old room?" she asked.

"Nope, I threw it away," I replied bitingly.

"You know we have a copy of it," she said as I stared at her. "Why would you throw it away?"

I didn't give her the benefit of an answer. Instead, we just stared at one another, neither one of us willing to break eye contact first.

"When your father was found, the local PD searched the house. They gave me a copy of your diary for me to analyze," she said as I glared at her. "Want to know what I found out? Why we pushed for these little visits?"

"I don't care," I said slowly.

"I'm not here to argue with you," she said, keeping eye contact with me. "I'm here to make sure that you are in the best situation for you and your child."

"Again, I don't care."

"Your last few entries were about someone following you. You were scared and losing sleep over it. You wrote that your father had slapped you around. Tell me about that," she said as I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Doctor Hale, we agreed to these meetings, but we didn't agree that you could come in here and upset my pregnant wife. You are gaining nothing but her disrespect," Edward said as I stood there rubbing my belly.

"Fine," she huffed. "This is the gift I got for you. I'm hoping you haven't gotten one yet."

I took the wrapped gift and opened it. I had forgotten I'd even mentioned such a thing to her until I saw it.

"You didn't already buy one, did you?"

"No, thanks for this," I said, flipping through the baby name book.

"Thank you," Edward said as he put his arm around me.

"No problem. Are you all ready to finish your last year of school?"

"Yes." I didn't bother telling her that I wasn't going back to public school.

"I saw that you were successful in selling the house," she said as I nodded. "I also noticed that you gave everything away."

"We did. We didn't need any of it," I said as she nodded.

"I see," she replied as I fingered through the baby book. I heard the dryer go off a moment later, pulling me out of my book reading.

"Do you need anything else?" I asked, trying to at least sound civilized.

"I'm here for an hour; we can talk about whatever you want," she said as I laughed humorlessly and headed for the laundry room. "I would really like you to tell me about your journal entries," she pressed.

"I really have a lot left to do around the house, plus I still have to make dinner. I really don't have time for this," I snapped as I started to fold clothes.

"You need to make time," she said as she reached over and grabbed one of Edward's shirts.

Seeing red, I slapped the shirt out of her hands. "This is my house, and I don't need help taking care of it," I said harshly.

"Bella, you need to stop," Edward said as I flinched. I didn't realize he had been standing behind me.

"I'm just saying I don't need help," I said more softly. "I just have a lot to do, and I slept longer than I meant to today, so I'm trying to stay on schedule."

"I see; I'll just observe then," she said as I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"I'll be back in a bit. I just have to go finish the work I was doing," Edward said, kissing my head and pinching the back of my arm.

It took everything in me not to flinch. I walked away as Hale walked around the small room and stopped to smell the Downy Unstopables that were sitting on the dryer.

"Those smell really good. I'm going to have to get some. You like them?" she asked me.

"Yes, they make everything smell good for weeks," I said as she smelled them again.

"When you're doing the housework, do you do everything at the same time on the same days?"

"I try. It doesn't always work out that way, but I try to do my best," I explained as she hummed.

"Do you have days where you just don't want to clean?" she asked as I shook my head no; that wasn't an option. "Do you clean every day?"

"There is always something to be done," I replied.

I grabbed the stack of towels and headed for the stairs with Hale hot on my heels. She followed me all over the house. I was glad I had cleaned our room already, seeing as how she followed me in there without even asking for permission.

"Do you need anything?" I asked Edward as Hale stuck her head into the office.

"I'm good. Alice called. After your visit you can call her back," he said as I smiled.

"We should invite them over for pizza," I suggested. "Hmm…ham and onion sounds so good," I moaned as he chuckled.

"Ham and onion?" Hale asked, wrinkling her nose.

"My opinion exactly," Edward said as he laughed.

I shrugged but laughed along. I couldn't control my cravings.

"Pizza it is. I'll call Jasper," he said as I smiled again.

"What about Emmett and Rose?" I asked as his smile fell.

"Maybe next time, Honey," he said gently as Hale and I looked at one another.

"Who are Emmett and Rose?"

"Oh, Emmett has been Edward's best friend since childhood. Rose is his wife," I explained quickly.

"Is there a problem with your friendship?" she asked Edward as he looked up at her.

"He's my partner, and people seem to think that I brainwashed my wife, forced her to be with me, oh, and of course that I killed her father," he said with narrowed eyes. "I think your time is up." He stood from his desk and I took a step back.

"I was just asking a question. Isn't Jasper an officer you work with, as well?"

"He's family," Edward said as he towered over Hale.

"I consider my best friend family," she said. "Don't try to intimidate me like you do your wife." She had gotten under Edward's skin, and I knew that wasn't a good thing. I knew I had to get her out of the house as quickly as possible.

"Oh yay! Your hour is up. I'll show you to the door," I said as I put myself between them.

"Vacuum the living room and get me a drink," Edward barked harshly before returning to his seat. I nodded my head in understanding before walking out of the office with Hale.

"I'll see you next month," she said to Edward as he glared. "It was nice to see you in your home, Isabella. See you next time." She walked out the door with a big smile on her face, and it made me hate her even more. I took a deep, calming breath before I got Edward his drink. When I got to the office, he was still in a foul mood, so I sat the drink down and went to finish the rest of my chores without saying a word. I think after getting the full effect of Dr. Hale, he needed a little while to himself to come to terms with everything. After the house was done, I finally sucked up my courage and went to find Edward. Not seeing him in his office, I immediately took the stairs, surprised to find him lying in our bed; that wasn't something he did.

"Everything okay?" I asked as I sat next to him.

"Fine," he grumbled. "I love you, and I just want you to know everything I do is because I love you."

"Edward, I know. I love you, too," I said as I rubbed his stomach. "Please don't let Doctor Hale get to you like that. I was thinking that if we talked, maybe you could fill in the blanks for me?" I asked timidly.

There were so many questions left unanswered, and I knew that only Edward could fill them in for me, if he was willing.

"What do you have blanks about?"

"When I was being questioned before, Hale kept asking me if I would tell her how we met. I told her we met while you were in town, but that wasn't good enough for her. She wanted details, and I couldn't give them to her," I said as I played with my husband's fingers.

"Oh, Baby," he chuckled, pulling me down so we were lying side by side. "We met at the grocery store. I saw you and acted like I was shopping, but I was only picking up two things. I knew I had talk to you. When you were alone, I walked up to you and we started talking. How could you not remember that?" he asked, kissing my cheek.

"I think I do remember, but I didn't know if it was a dream or if it really happened," I laughed.

I felt better knowing that I would have been right. I didn't understand how I could forget such little things, and it made me feel like I was losing my mind.

"I remember how scared you looked when I approached you. When I saw how beautiful you were, I thought for sure you were going to tell me you were already taken. Then I realized how shy you were, and I knew I needed to get to know you," he said as he ran his fingers down my face.

"Why would they say you were brainwashing me?" I asked as he stilled his movements.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's because you don't remember every single detail like other women do, but that's why I love you so much. I love that you aren't like other women," he said, making me smile. "Did you really throw away the journal you had?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Why?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Something told me to and I did," I replied.

"You didn't read it?"

"No; that's part of my past and I just want to move forward," I said as he smiled tenderly at me.

"That's my girl. You, me, and our baby, forever."

I sighed happily knowing that was all I wanted. All I needed was him and our daughter. Nothing else mattered to me in this world.

"I can't wait for her to get here," I said as I covered my belly with our locked fingers.

"I'm so excited. I hope I can be here for it," he said sadly.

"You will be. I know you, and I know you didn't kill anyone. You have a nasty temper, but you would never murder anyone."

"I love you."

"I love you, too," I said as he kissed me.

I knew he was worried about the pending trial, but I also knew there was no way he could ever kill anyone. This was just a speed bump of a problem in our life, which we would overcome together.

"Get changed; Jasper and Alice will be here soon," he said suddenly, sitting up.

I smiled widely and jumped up. "Really?"

"I said they could come over, Sweetie."

"I know, but when Hale got you so upset, I thought…"

"That bitch can get me going every time she is here if she wants to, but I will never take that out on you," he said as he kissed me once more.

"I'm sorry she has to be here. If I would have just answered her questions, none of this would have happened," I said sadly.

"No; this is your fucking abusive father's fault. It's like he is haunting us from the grave," Edward said, getting off the bed. "I'm done talking about this. Get up and changed so that we can have a fun night. We both could use it."

With a lighter heart, I got off the bed and made myself more presentable. I was excited that we were going to have people over. I loved having company.

As the night flowed on, everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Even the pizza tasted better than usual. Everyone joked that I ate the most of it, but it tasted so good.

"Alice, I found that book you asked if I had," I said as she cocked her head to the side. "We talked about it forever ago."

"Oh, okay," she said as I smiled.

"We are just going to go upstairs for a few," I said as Edward smiled and then went back to the chess game he was playing with Jasper.

"I don't remember asking about a book," Alice said as we made it to the office.

I shook my head at her quickly, looking behind us as I shut the door firmly. I couldn't afford to have anyone overhearing what I was about to tell her.

"I know. Remember how we said we had many things we didn't want to talk about or we didn't want other people knowing?" I asked as she nodded. "Okay, this is one of them. It's nothing bad, but Edward would be pissed if he found out about this because I lied," I admitted, wringing my hands together.

"You are making me kind of nervous," Alice said as I dug to the back of the book case.

I pulled away from the bookshelf and listened at the door. I didn't hear anyone coming, but I knew we didn't have much time.

"This is my old journal. I need you to keep it safe for me," I whispered desperately.

"What's the big deal if you have an old journal?" she asked, scrunching her nose slightly.

"It's from before I met Edward. He doesn't like me talking about my past, let alone reading about it. I just need it out of the house. Please Alice?" I begged.

"Why do I have to hide it? I have never pushed you for information, but this is a little weird, and I need to know what I am hiding," she said.

"It's my old journal. I wrote stuff in there that Edward could read. The police already have a copy of it, but if he knows I have it, he will flip. You taking this out of the house will save me from what would probably be a pretty bad spanking."

"Okay…" she said hesitantly, reaching out and taking my journal from me. "I'll do this, but one day you have to tell me everything."

I nodded my head and hoped that this was a promise I could keep.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

A few days after I gave Alice the journal I felt at peace. I didn't have to lie to Edward anymore about having it, and I knew it was safe with Alice; I trusted her. That day found me just sort of lounging around the house, my chores already completed. Edward had a meeting with his lawyer, and Carlisle was going with him while Esme was out shopping, so I was left on my own for a while. Not that I was complaining, but it was kind of nice to be alone for a little bit. I jumped slightly when there was a knock on the door. No one had ever really shown up unannounced before. I quietly walked to the door and just barely looked around the corner to see Jasper standing there. Edward said to never open the door unless I knew someone was coming, but I knew Jasper.

"Hey," I said as I opened the door. "Um…Edward's not here right now."

"I know; that's why I'm here," he said as he walked in.

I moved to the side quickly so he didn't bump into me. He was here with a purpose it seemed, and I knew he wasn't going to leave until he got what he came for. This was Jasper the cop I was dealing with. Not our friend, Jasper.

"What's going on?" I asked as he pulled my journal out from his coat pocket.

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Why do you have that?" I whispered.

"Why do you?" he asked.

"Please don't tell Edward. I told him I threw it away," I said, my heart racing.

"I read some of this," he said as I gasped.

"Why would you do that?" I asked in shock.

"Have you read it at all?" he countered.

"No," I said quickly.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell Edward about this?" he asked as my eyes filled with tears.

I shook my head quickly, trying to think of a reason off the top of my head. The truth was, though, that he was my husband's cousin. I was only his family by marriage.

"I've seen that fear in a woman's eyes before," Jasper noted. "Anything you want to tell me?"

"I'm going to tell Edward about the journal, just not yet. I know lying is wrong, and I know I'll be…" I suddenly stopped myself.

This wasn't his business. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. Surely this wasn't good for our baby.

"When Edward first told me about you, and he told me about what you had been through, I thought the two of you were a perfect match. Do you know anything about how he was raised?" he asked as I nodded my head.

In all honesty, I knew very little, but I wasn't going to let him know that.

"My uncle loves control…like he can't live without it. I've seen a lot with my aunt and uncle. I know more than I let on. I watched one night when Carlisle thought I was sleeping as he smothered Edward with pillow and put him in the hall closet. I was there when Edward wanted to learn law, and Carlisle pushed him down the stairs for it. I was there when Edward cried after watching his father kill his only pet because he forgot to do something so small that I can't even remember what it was," he told me as my chin started to quiver. "Edward is the one I'm worried about in all this. He is where my loyalties lie. He and I have been through it all, so I'm going to ask you a question, and you cannot lie to me. If you do, I will go to Edward with this," he said, holding up my old journal.

I felt a surge of pride and brotherly love for Jasper as he declared that Edward was his priority. Edward was my priority as well, and as long as we agreed on that, then I knew we were on the same team.

"Fine," I said in agreement as I wiped the tears out of my eyes.

"Were you brought here against your will?"

"Absolutely not," I said, shaking my head.

"Do you remember coming here?" he grilled.

"Yes, we drove down and stopped at a gas station along the way," I said as he nodded.

"This journal goes against everything the two of you have told people," he countered.

I nodded, knowing as much. "Which is why I want it out of my house. My story remains the same. I came here on my own. Anything in that journal came from a past life, and has no business being in my life now. Are you going to tell him?"

Jasper shook his head. "No. You've made it clear where you stand. Just don't get my cousin thrown in jail because of your fucked up life."

"I'm going to do my best," I said as he nodded.

"Don't make me regret this," he threatened as he slammed the door on his way out.

I let myself cry for a few minutes before I pulled myself together. There was a lot I didn't know, but I knew enough in order to keep my promise.

NO WAY! Did we give you some idea of Edward's fucked up life? It has to be a mistake! Just kidding. From here on out will you get to see bit and pieces of Edward. With this story being in BPOV she will not be able to give you all the answers you are looking for, but the very last chapter will be in someone else's pov and you will get your answers, I promise!

See you next week.


	23. Chapter 23

Okay and here we have a new update! Thanks so much for all the reviews we love them all! Thanks to toocute24 for all the help she is giving with this story!

We own nothing but the plot!

After Jasper's hasty departure, I couldn't help but spend the next couple of weeks on pins and needles, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I just knew that somehow, what I did was going to get back to Edward. Weeks came and went without word of Edward's impending trial, and it was nearing the time for our baby's arrival. The faster our due date crept up on us, the more nervous I became. I was scared of the whole having a baby thing; I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to do everything that needed to be done. Edward wasn't really helping, either. I tried to keep up with the daily chores, but it seemed like something always got forgotten, and according to Edward, that wasn't acceptable any longer. He constantly told me what to do and when to do it, because we were changing our schedule around a bit. He was back to feeding me, and I was constantly telling him he was my life. It was like he needed to hear it. The worst part was when he told me my punishments would be changing, as well.

"Now that you are about to be a mother, there is a lot more I am going to expect from you," Edward said as I packed our bag for the hospital. "Your chore list is going to grow. Our child is going to need you, but don't think you can ignore me. I will help you for the first week, and then you are on your own."

"Okay, I understand," I said trying not to roll my eyes.

How different could it be to add a child into my day-to-day stuff?

"If you fail, I will take the baby from you, and you won't get to see her," he threatened, making me gasp. "She will either stay here and you won't get to touch her, or she will go to my parents. It will all depend on how much you need to be punished."

"Why would you do that?!" I asked harshly.

"Because you need to learn how to be a mother."

"But I'm the only one that will be able to feed her!" I argued, growing angrier by the minute.

"Do you not want to hold her as soon as she is born?" he snapped.

I quickly shut my mouth and bit the inside of my cheek. I was not going to give him any reason to not let me hold our daughter after she was born.

"That's the meanest thing you could do to me," I said thickly, willing myself not to cry.

"I doubt you will make mistakes more than once," he said.

"Do you want me to hate you?!"

"I don't know who you think you're talking to, but you need to change your tone, NOW!" he yelled. "Also, your special place will come back into play, too," he said as my heart raced. I really didn't know what had come over me. I knew better than to talk to him in such a manner.

After that conversation, I felt like I was walking on egg shells around him. That was also when he started making me repeat his little phrase over and over again.

Doctor Hale wasn't helping matters any, either. In fact, I was pretty sure she was adding to Edward's need to be more controlling with me. Every time she was at our house, she would rile Edward and me up to the point where we ended up fighting in front of her.

"Bella, let me read you something," she said at one of her visits.

I watched in frustration as she took her time pulling out a piece of notebook paper before reading in an overly sweet voice. "Charlie hit me at the grocery store today. I hate when he hits me in public. He called me an ungrateful bitch, and I was mortified. I always get so paranoid when stuff like this happens. It makes me feel like people are watching my every move. The rest of the way through the store, I could feel eyes on me, but there was no one around. The bottom of my ribs hurt from where Charlie pushed me into the cart, too. I know he hates me, but I don't know what I can do to make it better; I never seem to do anything right. When we got home, he backhanded me for embarrassing him; it seems like I always embarrass him. Sometimes I think life would be better without me here, but there has to something better for me, right?"

"What's your point?" I asked when she finally stopped to take a breath.

"That entry was dated the day that Edward said you met," she explained, looking at both of us.

I looked at Edward to see that his eyes were narrowed and his fists were clenched, but from the tone of his voice, you would never be able to tell that he was upset.

"I guess I got the dates wrong," he shrugged. "Like my Bella, I'm not too great with dates, either, it would seem."

I smiled warmly at him and squeezed his hand. I didn't care that he forgot that date. I looked back at Doctor Hale to see her shooting daggers at Edward.

"Okay, how about this?" she said, flipping through her pages. "Either I'm going crazy, or someone is really watching me…"

"My father use to sit in my room at night and jerk off. What else do you have?" I asked angrily, slamming my hand on the counter.

"I ran all the way home from school today because I just knew someone was following me. Charlie works the night shift, and I'm scared to be alone. Even now, sitting here in my room, I feel like someone is watching me. I keep looking out the window, but there is nothing there. I've gone three nights without sleep, and I'm starting to feel sick," she read as I groaned silently.

None of this meant anything! I didn't have a clue as to what the hell she was talking about, or what she was trying to prove. Apparently, Edward was on the same wavelength as me, because he stood up abruptly.

"You are pissing me the fuck off!" Edward yelled. "What does any of this have to do with anything?!"

"I think you were the one following her," Hale retorted calmly.

"You're crazy!" I yelled, throwing my hands in the air. "I don't want you coming here anymore."

"That's not your choice," she said as I laughed darkly.

"You need to get her out of here, and you better make sure she doesn't come back," I snapped at Edward, pointing my finger in his face. "I'm eighteen now. I'm no longer a child!"

"Then don't act like one. You need to lose your fucking attitude!" he yelled pushing my hand away. "What can I do about it?"

"You take care of everything, so take care of it!" I said dramatically, pointing over my shoulder to the "it."

"You are being such a bitch! This is court ordered," he said, pulling at his hair.

"You take care of it or I leave and end all of this," I said, waving my hands in the air.

"Are you really threatening to leave me?"

"I am. I'm so done with all of this!"

"You're done? How do you think I feel? This is all because of you!"

"Me?!"

"Yes, you! It's your fucked up family that has us in this mess in the first place! You were the one that was abused; you were the one that fucking begged me to help you, and I was stupid enough to fucking fall for it!" he said angrily, his chest heaving.

A throat clearing from behind us made us both turn quickly to see Dr. Hale standing there, a wide smile on her evil face. We had completely forgotten that she was still here.

"Well, I think that's all for today. I'll see you next month," Hale said as she showed herself out the door.

"If you ever think you will leave me, I will fuck your world up so badly. Don't you dare think for one fucking minute that you will ever see our child again! I will get sole custody of her, and you will get absolutely nothing," he said in a sinister voice. "Get upstairs!"

Angry tears streamed down my face because of what had just happened. I threw my dish rag in the sink before brushing past him to the stairs. I knew what was coming, but I didn't care. Hale came to do as she wanted, and we played right into her hands.

"I don't know what's going on with me," I cried as I reached the stairs with Edward behind me. "It's like she is trying to turn us against each other and I fell for it."

"Hook, line, and fucking sinker," he spat as he walked into our room. He sat on the trunk at the foot of our bed and I positioned my body so that I was leaning over one of his knees with the top half of my body on the bed.

"Don't you ever threaten to leave me again, understand? Everything I'm going through is for you," he said after he spanked me. "Say it."

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said as I wiped my tears away.

"Again," he said from between clenched teeth.

More time had passed than I could count where he had me repeat the phrase again and again. It wasn't until his stomach grumbled that he let up and moved us downstairs so that we could have dinner.

The day Edward's lawyer showed up at our house with a judge was one of the happiest days of my life. After we all had a long conversation, the judge said that the visits from Hale weren't needed anymore. I cried happy tears that day. She had been such a thorn in our sides, and I was glad when she was out of our lives.

Things got better for a little while, but then Edward started in with his new rules, and I felt like we were back to where we started.

"Edward, will you ever fully trust me?" I asked one night while we were in bed.

"I trust you, Baby. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I just feel like I'm always going to mess up and I feel like you don't trust me. Could these feelings be from the pregnancy?"

"Possibly, but have I done something to make you feel this way?" he asked as he held me tighter.

"It seem like nothing is going to be okay. We're fine for a little while and things are so great, and then…BAM! Everything feels like it's falling apart. You're making me 'say it' all the time again, and I don't understand why. Am I not doing a good enough job?" I asked as I looked up to him.

"Babe…" he started to say. "I'm under a lot of stress right now, and hearing you say that I'm all you need makes me feel so much better. You are doing fine, but I don't want to you go backwards after the baby is born. I need you to be the wife and mother I know you can be. I'm worried about a lot of things, and if I have to be looking over your shoulder every minute of the day, I'll go crazy. Things will calm down, I promise," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"I know; I can do this," I told him with conviction as he smiled.

"I hope you can, but the new rules and punishments stay in place. Until I know you can do it all, I will be a little overbearing, but I promise things will get better," he said, rubbing my back gently. "I just want you to do your best. I know what's best for you, so why are you questioning me?"

"I'm not meaning to," I said, ending the conversation.

"Let's just take our life one day at a time and see what happens," he suggested as I snuggled up to him.

I lay awake as Edward's breathing evened out, signaling that he was asleep. I moved my head to his chest carefully and draped my arm across his stomach. I knew pursuing the conversation was pointless, though. He'd already proven to me that things can change in an instant.

~~~AOMM~~~

"Push, Baby," Edward said as he held my leg.

"It feels like my vagina is on fire!" I panted, leaning back into the pillows as the contraction ended.

This was the worst pain I had ever been in, in my entire life — and that was saying something. Because Edward refused to let me have an epidural or any form of pain management, I was having our child completely natural.

"You need to push," the doctor said again, much too soon.

I closed my eyes, leaned forward, and did as they asked. I started to push, and as soon as I felt the stretching, I stopped.

"You will not hold her if you don't push," Edward whispered in my ear.

To an onlooker, it probably seemed like he was encouraging me, and he was, just not the way it appeared. Although, that was all it took to get me to push our daughter out. When I heard her loud cry, I relaxed and let my body go limp. It was over, and I couldn't be happier. I wasn't sure I wanted to do it again, though.

"She looks good," the doctor said, leaning back down between my legs. "When you feel pressure, give me one more small push," he instructed.

"There's more?" I asked breathlessly.

"We have to get the afterbirth out. Nothing that will hurt, I promise" he said as I nodded.

I waited for the pressure and pushed the afterbirth out without a problem.

"She's okay?" I asked as Edward stood next to the bed like a statue. "Edward, is she okay?" I asked again, pulling on his arm. She was crying so loudly that I thought something was wrong with her.

"She seems perfect to me," he said, looking down at me while smiling widely. I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. I was so tired.

"Here she is," a nurse said as I opened my eyes. I sat up as much as I could while the nurse placed my daughter in my arms.

"Wow," I said, shaking my head. It was hard to believe that she was my baby. "So beautiful."

"You did good, Baby," Edward said as he sat next to me on the bed. "We need to agree on a name."

"I know…Ava?" I asked, knowing that was one of the names I liked the best.

"Ava Lynn?" he asked.

"I like that," I agreed, smiling as I kissed the top of her head.

"I love that name," the doctor said, finally removing my legs from the stirrups.

"Thank you," Edward said as I stared at my daughter. "You know you have to share," Edward teased, reaching over and pulling her into his arms gently.

"I don't think we are ever going to put her down," I laughed as I watched my husband hold our daughter. "She's so perfect."

"She is," he smiled.

"She weighs seven and a half pounds, and is eighteen inches long," the nurse said. "We just have to take her for a bit to get her footprints and double check that everything is okay."

I nodded and watched through half closed eyes as they put her in her plastic crib and pushed her out of our room and to the nursery. I thought I would cry at watching her go, but I was just too tired.

"I'm going to call my parents. Why don't you try to sleep some," Edward said kissing my forehead. I didn't have to be told twice, and when my eyes closed, I was out.

~~~AOMM~~~

As I opened my eyes, I heard voices. They all sounded happy, and I couldn't ask for more.

"She's waking up," I heard Carlisle say.

"Baby?" Edward said from somewhere close to my ear. I shifted a little and I opened my eyes to see my husband smiling happily at me. "Hey."

"Hi," I croaked, clearing my throat.

"How do you feel?" he asked as I sat up a little.

"I feel…" I said as I sat up more. "I don't feel bad at all," I finished, sounding shocked.

"You look good," Carlisle commented. I just smiled in response. "Have her drink some water, Son." Edward handed me a cup and I sipped it until I heard Ava's little cry. I looked in the corner and saw Esme feeding her a bottle.

"I thought I was going to breast feed," I whispered, upset at the sight of someone else feeding my daughter. Even if it was my mother-in-law.

"You can try later. She needed to eat, and you were sleeping," Edward said as he patted my hand.

"You could have woken me up!" I snapped.

I gasped as I realized what I just said, immediately trying to apologize for my rudeness.

"That's enough, Isabella," Carlisle said as I sunk into my bed. "You allow her to talk to you in that way?"

"No, Sir," Edward said quickly. "I don't know what's going on with her."

"I don't want to hear it again or I will take the both of them away from you!" Carlisle said to Edward.

I clutched Edward's hand in mine and squeezed gently, hoping that he would understand how sorry I was.

"I'm so sorry —" I began, only to stop short as Edward turned his glare to me.

"Shut up," he hissed.

I looked down into my lap, but could still hear Carlisle whispering harshly to Edward about my lack of respect. It was humiliating. It was a different side to my father-in-law than I had ever seen before.

"I can finish feeding her," I offered as I sat up more.

"No; she's fine with Mom," Edward said shortly. I knew that was my punishment for my behavior, and it hurt worse than any spanking I had ever received. "Drink more water."

I nodded and took the cup from him without a word. I knew that this was his way to show his control over me in front of his father.

"I'm going to let the nurses know you're awake," Carlisle said before leaving my room.

"I'm so sorry," I said the moment the door was closed.

"Just keep your mouth shut and do as you are told!" Edward snapped.

"Yes, Edward," I said as I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.

The nurse came in and asked me questions as she checked my vitals. I asked to take a shower, and the nurse went in with me, helping me every step of the way. We talked about Ava and the after care of my body. Everything seemed pretty simple. I was positive I could handle everything.

~~~AOMM~~~

I was able to hold Ava later that night and I couldn't have been happier. Edward helped me with the breast feeding, and there was no greater feeling in the world. Before I knew it we were home, and for the first couple of weeks, I had everything under control. It took me longer than normal to do my chores, but I was finishing everything I needed to. Edward was also a bigger help than I thought he was going to be. He said he was helping too much, but I was showing him in any way I could how grateful I was for him. Relationship wise, we were doing great. I was hoping this was the beginning of us always being happy.

After another couple of weeks passed, we finally got that phone call we had both been anticipating, yet dreading. He finally had a date for his trial: March fifteenth. We both understood that day would be upon us before we knew it. When we made plans, Alice and Jasper said they would come with us and stay behind in the hotel to babysit Ava. Alice loved Ava and Ava loved her.

Alice and Jasper were still going strong, and they were talking about getting married after she graduated. Jasper even kept his word and didn't tell Edward about the journal. Every time they were around, I waited for him to let it slip, but he acted like it never happened and I was thankful for that. I also noticed that Jasper and Edward were spending a lot of alone time in his office talking. I asked Alice if she knew anything, but she explained that Jasper said Edward just needed to talk. I was a little jealous that he wasn't talking to me, but another part of me was happy that he was talking things out with someone.

As our trial date crept closer and closer, more and more of Edward's coworkers came to visit him. Edward would take them to his office with a grim look on his face, but whenever they emerged, Edward was smiling and looking like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It looked like his coworkers were coming around and excepting our relationship. Emmett and Rose even stopped by, and when Emmett asked to talk to Edward in private, Rose tried to play twenty questions with me. She said she was worried about me, and I told her that there was nothing to worry about. Once she got to hear our side of the story, she apologized for not coming around much before. She was nervous about everything she had heard. I was glad that we were finally on the same page, and Edward's mood was even lighter after their visit. It felt like everything was working out, and it gave me hope that it was a sign of everything going our way.

~~~AOMM~~~

Mid February, Ava got sick. She had a cold, and there was just nothing left to do for her. She wanted to be held, but Edward was off with Carlisle doing something. I had called and texted him, but he never answered. I was trying to get as much done as I could, but I wasn't where I should have been.

"Please, Edward, call me! She needs to go to the doctor," I said in tears as I left him another voicemail. The third one to be exact.

After waiting another thirty minutes with no answer from my husband or either of my in-laws, I finally admitted defeat and called the doctor. Luckily, he was able to see her within the hour. I called Esme again, and when she didn't answer, I called Alice. I was grateful she wasn't busy and was able to come and get me.

By the end of the appointment, the doctor gave her a nebulizer and some medicine to help break up the congestion in her chest. They told me not to give her formula for twenty-four hours, and just to give her Pedialyte®. They gave her a breathing treatment while we were there, and not even fifteen minutes later, she fell asleep on my shoulder. I breathed a sigh of relief, just glad to see her getting some rest. I knew it was going to be a long night, though. We had to do the breathing treatments every four hours.

When I got home, I thanked Alice for her help and headed inside. I knew Edward was home because his car was in the driveway. As soon as I was through the door, Edward laid into me.

"Don't you ever, and I mean ever, leave this house without me knowing, again!" he yelled as he took the car seat from me.

"I left you a voicemail. I left you a ton of them; texts, too," I explained, setting the diaper bag down.

"Get this house cleaned," he said as I left the room.

I was able to fly through my chores while Ava napped, and just as I finished putting everything away, I heard my baby cry. Just as I made it our room, I heard Edward's voice.

"Daddy's sorry he wasn't here when you needed me," he cooed as he held her tightly to his chest.

"Why didn't you answer when I called?" I asked as I walked up to him.

"I'm sorry. Can we just drop it?" he asked.

"She's really sick," I said as I rubbed her little head, changing the subject slightly even if I wanted an answer.

"I know."

"It's time for her breathing treatment," I explained as I moved around the room. "Just hold this over her face…or do you want me to do it?"

"I'll do it," he said sadly.

"Please talk to me," I begged as I sat with him. I couldn't take not knowing.

"We all get punished in one way or another, and today I got punished," he said. "I yelled at my father the other day, even though I knew better…"

"He wouldn't let you come to us?" I guessed.

"No," Edward whispered. "He wanted to show me that you didn't need me."

"I did need you!" I disagreed hotly. "I needed you so badly. I called Alice because I didn't know what else to do," I explained, rubbing his back.

"I know and I hate it!" he snapped. "I hate that you can make a phone call and someone comes running. Dad said I was wrong to allow you to be friends with her, but she's more than likely going to become family. At least I know if I go to prison you'll be okay."

"I won't be okay," I whispered to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, kissing my head softly.

That night was very quiet around the house. Edward was sad and upset, and I did what I could to make him feel better. With the trial coming up, I knew Edward had a lot on his mind, and I knew that as his wife, it was my job to help him get through this time in any way that I could.

*Sigh* it's always something…anyway I will see you next week for more craziness…ok a lot of craziness.

There are links on my profile to my fb group and twitter, but fb is where you can always find me!


	24. Chapter 24

Here is something a little different for you! We are letting you take a look into the mind of Edward! This starts at when he was taken to the station. And goes till the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to Sally for all the help she gives, I couldn't do it without her!

OH READ THIS! I haven't had to do this in a while, but I think this chapter needs a warning…so yeah.

Epov

I looked over at Bella to see tears threatening to spill out of her eyes, her mouth gaped open in shock. I felt a tugging sensation in my chest at the look of absolute heartbreak on her face when my coworkers announced that we needed to be brought in for questioning. I watched her closely as her face slowly drained of color, and knew that I needed to step in and handle the situation as delicately as I could. I felt a rush of anger over whomever was bringing these charges against us. My wife was fucking pregnant with my child, and didn't need this kind of stress.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled sharply. It was hard to believe that someone killed that bastard, but at the same time, I was grateful to whomever did it. I was just jealous that it wasn't me that was able to look into that child beater's eyes as his life drained from his body. One thing was for certain now, though: Charles Swan would never darken our doorstep again.

"Can I have a minute with my wife?" I asked the men who have been my friends for years.

"Yeah, you may want her to change," Emmett said as I shook my head.

She had on a small pair of shorts and a tight tank top that wasn't going to fit much longer. Her belly was growing, and she was the most beautiful person in the world.

"Just give us two minutes," I said briskly as they nodded. I knew everything could be cleared up in a matter minutes.

"I'm scared," she whispered as we entered our room. I took hold of her face before I spoke.

"How did we meet?" I asked as a small smile flittered across her face.

"When you were out of town for the police convention," she said with a proud smile. I hadn't had to do this in a while, but it was so important now.

"Where, what state?" I asked quickly as I undressed her.

"Um..."

"Portland, Oregon. Remember that," I said as I helped her into her bra. "We spent time alone in the cabin for a week, remember?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding a little unsure. "We had a nice drive here."

"That's right," I said as we finished getting dressed. "It's no one's business how we are. You do not need to tell them about how you are punished. Do you understand? If you do, they will take you away, and when the baby is born, they will take her away, too, and you will never see either of us again," I explained as she started to cry. I knew I could trust her.

"Do we need a lawyer?" I asked once we were dressed and back downstairs.

"The Portland PD wanted to drag both of you back to Oregon tonight, but have agreed to question you here with Bella being pregnant and all. We don't know what they have planned, though," Jasper babbled. He tended to do that when he was nervous.

"So you don't know?" I asked, snapping at him. All he did was shake his head.

"They must have some kind of fucking evidence or they wouldn't come all this way," I replied, getting angry.

"The Chief knows more than we do. We were just sent to retrieve you," Ben offered as Bella tucked herself into my side. "We'll talk more at the station."

"Grab one of my hoodies from the closet. It gets cold in the station," I said to my wife before we headed outside. Ben didn't say anything more to me, and that made me nervous. This was bad, I could feel it. I had no clue what they could possibly have on either of us.

The ride to the station was long as hell, and Bella was as close to me as she could possibly get. I needed her to stay as stress-free as possible. I didn't want anything to happen to her or my daughter. Once we reached the station, all eyes were on me. My Chief was waiting next to the interrogation room, and my stomach dropped.

"Mrs. Cullen, you can come with me," a blond officer said.

"I don't want to go," she said as she hid herself behind me.

"Everything is going to be fine, Baby. Just tell them what they want to know, okay?" I reassured her as I pulled her into a hug. "Say it," I whispered into her ear.

"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," she said as she cried. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Baby," I said as I let go of her, watching closely as she made her way to the second room.

My Chief motioned for me to follow him as he headed to the first room, on the other side of the hallway. The Chief never sat in on questioning anymore, and that made me really nervous. Once we were in the room, I started to pace; there was nothing else I could do.

"Have a seat, Edward," the Chief said, making me groan.

"What could they have on us to make them want to speak to me and my wife?"

"DNA, fingerprints, and a witness. From what I've been told, they want you for a long list of crimes," Chief said as my mouth dropped open and I fell into my seat.

"What the fuck?" I groaned, putting my face in my hands. "Why now? We have been together for a year and a half."

"I guess it took time for them to find everything they were looking for," he said as I rolled my eyes.

"Why do they need to question Bella, too?"

"You know as well as anyone that it's just protocol."

"Do they think she had anything to do with it? Neither one of us did anything wrong! Everything we did was legal," I said as I clenched my fists.

At that moment, another officer let herself into the interrogation room, snapping the door shut behind her.

"Edward, this is Detective Uley. She is going to be heading up the investigation," the Chief explained as Uley shook my hand.

"Tell me what happened the last time you saw Charles Swan," she started. I knew as soon as I spoke, it wasn't going to sound good at all, but I also knew that I had no choice.

"We had an…altercation," I explained, balling my fists again. "We had just gone to court so he could sign guardianship of Bella over to me. Chief, he didn't even fight me for rights. He wanted me to take her! He was a piece of shit!"

"That doesn't give anyone the right to kill," the Chief said with a slight raise of his voice.

"I understand that, but I just want you to know that anyone could have killed him," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Did you work with him?" I asked Uley.

"That has nothing do with this," she said emotionlessly. "When did you get into the altercation?"

"I went back to the cabin I was renting to change before I picked up Bella. He followed me, and he was calling me a pervert and what not, so I punched him in the mouth. His teeth cut my knuckles. That one punch made him fall to the ground, so I called him a pussy and spit on him," I said as the Chief covered his face.

"Did you threaten him so he would give up his rights?" she asked.

"No. I said I wanted to be her guardian, and I wanted to bring her back here, and then he said 'no problem. It will be nice to get away from her,'" I explained, grinding my teeth together. "I have no clue what his problem was. He was fine with it, like I said before. He wanted me to take her. The judge we saw asked him three times if that was what he truly wanted. Ask him yourself. I didn't do anything wrong," I said as the Chief nodded in agreement.

"How did you and Bella meet?" Uley asked, moving right along.

"We met at the Shop and Go. I watched as her father elbowed her in the side of her head while she was bending over. He even pushed her into the cart, hurting her ribs. When he walked away from her, I went up to her to make sure she was okay. I knew of Swan because I had met him the day before. He was talking to another guy about what a fucking bitch his daughter was, but as soon as I talked to her, I knew she was anything but a bitch," I said as Uley nodded.

"And what day was that?"

"Oh, jeez...well over a year ago. Sometime around the end of May," I said, not recalling the actual date.

"You took a lot of time off work when you got back. Why was that?" Uley asked as I worked to keep my temper in check.

"Bella only had her finals left to take, really, so I home-schooled her. Plus, we were planning our wedding. What does it matter?" I asked.

"Were the two of you coming up with a story so they would be the same?" the Chief asked.

"NO!" I yelled. They were crossing every line there was. "Do you really think my wife would have married me if I killed her father?!"

"Did she help you? He was abusive toward her, you said so yourself," Uley said as I glared daggers at her.

"She loved that piece of shit! Bella has the kindest heart of everyone I've ever known! Yes, she was very happy to be away from him, but she would never hurt anyone!" I explained, aggravated.

"Well, we know the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with her punching some girl in the face," Uley said as I jumped up from my seat.

"This is about me! This is not about my wife! What the fuck are you playing at? Is Bella in trouble?" I asked as my hands shook.

"No, we just need to know everything that happened," she said, unfazed by my outburst.

"What else do you need to know?" I questioned, ready to be done with this whole thing.

"How did you approach Officer Swan about taking guardianship of his daughter?" the Chief asked.

"I overheard one of his buddies ask if his kid was legal yet. Swan told him no, but that as soon as she was, he would let him know," I explained as I swallowed back the bile. "His buddy went on to compliment the bruise that he had seen on her face that morning. They laughed about every mark or bruise that he had given her."

I was glad when the room fell quiet at my admission. My head was killing me.

"I know I did the right thing by taking her away. The things my wife told me were all similar shit to what we heard when we worked the Masen case," I said as the Chief winced. "If she would have stayed any longer, he probably would have raped her."

"When was the last time you saw him alive?" the Chief asked me.

"When I punched him," I said. "He cursed my name all the way to his car."

"When did you leave Portland?"

"I don't know the exact date; you'll have to check. I stayed a week longer because Bella hurt her ankle," I explained to him as Uley made a note.

"Sit tight; we'll be back in a minute," Uley said as the Chief followed her out of the room. I was going crazy with worry. I couldn't believe this was happening. I wanted to know what was going on with Bella. I knew she was scared, and I hoped she wasn't stressing too much. I just wanted to go home and hold her.

"Mr. Cullen, please stand up," Uley said. My eyes grew wide as she pulled out her handcuffs. "You are under arrest for the kidnapping of Isabella Swan, transportation of a minor over state lines, and the murder of Charles Swan," she said as she brought my arms behind my back.

"Wait a minute!" I tried to say as the Chief walked in.

"The District Attorney is ready to take this to trial. They feel they have a solid case. You will be taken back to Portland for your arraignment on Monday morning," Chief said with no emotion. I wasn't expecting anything from him, but a little clue would've been nice.

"Wait! Just give me a fucking minute. Can I at least give my wife our debit card? She doesn't have her own," I said as Uley nodded.

"Edward!" I heard Bella yell in a panic as she ran to me. "What's going on?"

"Everything is going to be fine, Baby. This is all a huge misunderstanding. Bella, look at me," I said, gaining her full attention. "Get my wallet out of my back pocket." She was frozen in her spot, so Emmett stepped up to do it for her.

"What's the pin, man?" he asked as he tried to comfort my wife.

"Our house number. Baby!" I said loudly as her eyes finally looked into mine. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes...our house number," she said as I nodded.

"Call my dad. He will know what to do." All she did was nod. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she cried as Uley pulled me away. "Emmett, stay with her, please?" I begged as I looked over my shoulder. Before we could round the corner, I saw my beautiful wife break down.

~~~~~AOMM~~~~

"How could this happen?" my father asked, pacing the room in front of me.

He said it so quietly, I wasn't sure if the question was meant for me to hear or not.

"This is fucking impossible," he griped a little louder. "These charges are completely bogus. They have nothing!"

His phone beeped at that moment, and I watched warily as he took it out of his pocket, reading whatever was sent before quickly typing out his own reply.

"Half a million fucking dollars for this shit?" he snapped, closing his phone and placing it back in his pants pocket.

I remained silent on the couch in our hotel room, knowing that anything I said now would be used against me later by this man. To be honest, most of what he was muttering about was going above my head, anyway. I could only assume that the money he was talking about was my court fees and what not.

"I'll pay you back," I promised.

My father's head snapped up and he looked at me like he was surprised I was still in the room.

"I'm not worried about your bail," he said, waving off my concern. "I just want you back home where you belong. The charges were completely ridiculous and a waste of time. And the new charges that they are still trying to gather evidence for, aren't going to stick anyway. I have half a mind to sue the State of Oregon for putting us out like this."

I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. This ordeal still wasn't behind us. The defense wanted more time to come up with more evidence, which just meant that they didn't have shit on me and needed more time to try and dig something out of their asses. The judge was a fucking crook for agreeing to it. I scrubbed my hands over my face tiredly. This was going to be a long wait until my trial.

"You think you have it bad now," my father chuckled, "just wait until your court appointed attorney visits with Hale. That's a bitch that doesn't know a woman's place."

I looked up to see an angry glint in my father's eyes.

"Meddling her abnormally large nose into business where it doesn't belong, and thinking she's on top of the world. What she needs is a strong man to knock her ass down a few pegs and show her where she really belongs. On her fucking stomach on the floor, beneath us men."

I rubbed at my temples with my fingers, knowing that once Carlisle got started on women and their places, he was not going to let go of his tirade anytime soon.

"It's going to be up to you to put her in her place," he said sharply, knocking me over the head with the palm of his hand.

I held up my hands and quickly nodded. "Don't know what all I can do," I argued weakly. "Is she really that bad?"

The dark chuckle my father let out had the hair on my neck standing on end. "She will fucking ruin you," he said.

I stood up with my fists clenched at my sides. "I won't let her," I vowed.

Carlisle nodded and clapped me on the shoulder. "Then you need to act like you are being cooperative when she makes her visits," he advised urgently. "And when she thinks she has the upper hand, you show her where she really belongs."

"I will," I said confidently. "That bitch won't know what hit her."

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

We had to stay in Portland to get all the money we had come into settled. I never would've thought that Swan would have had such a life insurance policy on himself. Two million dollars was a lot. We transferred the money into my account so that Bella couldn't get to it. If she knew she could have money, then she might leave me, and that couldn't happen. The realtor put the house up for sale and estimated it to sell at a hundred grand. My dad said at least she brought in enough cash for us to live off of. I was shocked that it took less than a month to sell the house. With the way everything was going, I was sure it was the calm before the storm, but I really needed him to be proud of me.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

I knew transitioning back into a routine at home was going to be difficult, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. I thought that once Bella had the baby and I showed my father the man I could be, he would let up on me, but he never did. I had tried and tried, over and over again to gain his approval, but it never came. Every time I had to punish Bella, he would punish me in some way for failing. I loved Bella so much. She and Ava were my life, but I knew I was going to fail them one way or the other.

The day Ava was born was the most amazing day of my life. Bella did great, and I couldn't wait to add to my family, but I was sure Bella felt differently. She would give me what I wanted, though; she always did. When she spoke back to me, I wanted to throw her into a closet for the simple fact that I knew I was going to hear about it later from my father.

Things were so tense that everyone was on edge, and my father and I were at each other's throats. The things he wanted me to do, I just couldn't do them. Bella was doing great, and I wanted her to know it. My father said that if you tell a woman they are doing well at their job, then they'll stop trying. I saw the reaction I was getting from Bella just by helping her more around the house, and I knew that his statement wasn't completely true. Not when it came to my wife, at least. The more I praised her, the more willing she seemed to want to get things done.

It was mid-February when it all came to a head, and I knew that something inside me needed to change — and fast. Bella was mine, not my father's, but if I continued on the path I was on, I was going to lose her to him in the worst possible way.

"Ava is young," my father said, taking a sip of his brandy. "You have the opportunity to train her from scratch, to make her the perfect child and future woman. But you have to act now."

I sipped at my rum and coke and thought about what Carlisle was trying to say, but this wasn't some random woman we were talking about. This was my two month old daughter we were discussing.

"I don't understand," I replied slowly.

I flinched instinctively as Carlisle slammed his glass on his desk, glaring daggers into my eyes. "I mean that you need to start punishing Ava now. Show her that she is a woman, and make her see where her place is from a young age. Start off slowly…with spankings. That should be enough for her first year, and then you can move up to putting her in the closet."

I stared dumbly at the man that I have looked up to for over twenty-five years. Surely he wasn't serious. Spank a two month old? For what?

"What exactly am I spanking my daughter for?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Ava is a brat!" he said harshly. "She cries nonstop when she wants something or when she doesn't get her way. Spanking her will shut her up and will help her recognize her place. You and Bella coddling her and tending to her every beck and call is not helping her. It's hindering her, and it's going to hurt her in the long run."

"You're fucking insane!" I bit out, standing up.

I was through with this. He obviously had too much to drink and wasn't thinking rationally. Spanking a baby was absurd, and even I wasn't fucked up enough to consider it.

The room was deathly quiet, save for our heavy breathing as we both glared at one another over my father's desk. I was not going to bend on this, though. Ava was my daughter — not his.

"You better fucking apologize," my father whispered menacingly.

I gulped audibly and took a step back.

"No. Spanking Ava right now is out of the question. Maybe in a few years, when she's old enough to understand right from wrong, but not right now. She's a baby and doesn't know any better. She cries to let us know she's hungry. We cater to her because that is what we're supposed to do as her fucking pa-"

My head flew to the side as my father pulled back his hand, cutting me off in mid-sentence. It wasn't the first time he had hit me, and I knew that he hadn't put his full strength into it judging from the fact that I was still standing. My hands clenched at my sides once more and I locked my knees.

"Apologize!" he screamed.

"Fuck. You," I whispered.

He rose up his hand to strike me again when I reached out and shoved him backwards. Not hard, but hard enough to cause him to stumble away from me, which was exactly what I needed.

"I'm fucking out of here," I bit out.

"Sit down!" Carlisle roared right as my phone started to ring.

I looked back to him to see that his eyes were dark in anger, his face was red, and he was visibly shaking. I had never seen him so angry in my life, and I knew then that I had crossed the line. You never went against what Carlisle Cullen said and then live to tell about it. I was fucked.

My phone rang again, and I pulled it out of my pocket to answer it, but it was quickly taken away from me.

"I don't know who you think you are. I am your father, and you are my son; you will show me the respect I deserve. I thought allowing you to get married was going to make you a better man, but it has turned you into a pussy!" he yelled at me.

I knew better than to say anything else. My phone rang again three more times, each time going to voicemail.

"What the fuck could she want?" Dad yelled as he listened to the voicemails Bella was leaving for me.

"Edward, please call me. Ava is sick and she needs to go to the doctor. Please call me," Bella's voice said as I jumped to my feet.

"I didn't say you could move," he said, pushing me back down into my seat.

"You heard Bella, I need to go," I pleaded. My little girl was sick, and I knew she and my wife needed me.

"I'm sure Bella can handle it. We both know she doesn't need you," he spat as my stomach turned.

"She does! How is she going to get my daughter to the doctor?" I asked as a lump formed in my throat.

"Esme!" Dad yelled. After a few minutes, Mom walked in looking as nervous as I felt.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, looking down at her hands.

"Has your phone rung?" he asked her.

"Yes, Sir, but you said not to bother you," she said as he nodded. My mom wasn't allowed to answer any phone calls unless she was given permission.

"Good; keep it that way. Do not answer your phone unless you want some special time later," he said as I watched my mother visibly shake. I knew my father was harsher than I ever wanted to be when it came to punishments.

"I understand, Sir," she said as she looked at me tearfully. We both knew there was nothing we could do to help.

"Leave!" he barked, making her jump before she was out of the room. "Oh, look, she's calling again. I wonder what she's going to do? With you being such a fuck up, I'm sure your wife will hate you before the end of the day," he said as I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Dad, I'm sorry I pushed you and swore at you; I know better than to do that. Please let me take my daughter to the doctor."

"No. If you think you are the man of your house, then let's just see what your little wife does when you can't be there. You may go to prison for the rest of your life, and then what? It's going to take me years to find a man good enough to take care of them. I know I can't do it forever," he said as my fists clenched. "What kind of man do you want her to marry? A pussy like you, or a man like me?"

"Dad, I don't know how to make this better!" I begged desperately. "I'll do anything, but don't make Ava suffer for my mistakes."

"It's your fault that she's suffering," he said as tears sprung to my eyes. "She didn't ask to be born to a little girl and a man who does nothing but fuck up."

"Dad…"

"Enough!" he yelled as he charged me.

I had thought so many times of just hitting him back, but I knew better. The end result would be worse for me. His fist hit my chest, knocking the wind out of me as he forced a pillow over my face. I learned long ago not to fight it, because struggling always made it worse. I did my best to breathe as he put his body weight onto the pillow. Just as I started to see spots, he pulled away, and I sucked in air like I was never going to get it again. I felt the skin on my scalp pull up as he grabbed the hair at the back of my neck. I looked up, willing myself to calm down so I didn't strike him. To my surprise, he quickly brought out a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket before quickly cuffing me to the chair. Giving me a smug look, he walked back over to his desk and sat back down behind his computer. I didn't know what he was doing, and I wasn't sure I wanted to. He clicked around on his computer for a moment before turning it around so that the screen was facing me.

"Take a look at this," he said as my eyes went wide.

"Please let me take her," I said as my emotions started to get the best of me. I pulled at the cuffs as I watched Bella try to care for our daughter. "When did you put cameras in my house?"

"You mean my house?" he spat as I closed my mouth. "Did you really think I wouldn't? Do you really think I trust a fuck up like you?"

"Dad, I'm sorry. I'm doing the best I can."

"No you are not! I have watched you bow down to that little bitch! I've watched you help her when she should be waiting on you hand and foot. Does she suck your dick that well?" he said as I swallowed thickly.

"I'm sorry; I'll do better," I promised as he walked up behind me. He placed his hands on each of my shoulders and pressed his fingertips into my pressure points, making me yell out in pain.

"Pussy," Dad said as I groaned in pain. I watched as Bella carried Ava around while she was putting things in the diaper bag. Was she just going to walk to the doctor? Was Ava that sick? I knew she had a cold, but maybe she was just overreacting.

"Edward, where are you? Ava's sick and Bella called Ali freaking out. She's taking her to the doctor…call me," I heard Jasper say through the voicemail on my phone.

It seemed like Bella was doing everything in her power to get in touch with me, and I was powerless to get to her.

"Told you so," Dad said as he slapped me in the face.

"I get! I get it! I'm a fuck up, and I know I will never be good enough. I'm so sorry. I don't know how to make it better," I said as my tears came.

"You need to fucking listen to me!" he yelled.

"Okay!" I conceded.

I watched as Alice showed up at the house, and she and Bella left with Ava. I needed to be there. They needed me, and I couldn't be there so she found someone that could be.

"That's what you get really," Dad started to say. "Allowing her to have friends, gives her the means of not needing you."

"I know, but Alice is going to be family," I said, trying to plead my case.

"Then they shouldn't have been friends before then!" he yelled as I nodded. I had made too many mistakes, and I didn't know how to make them better.

"You can go home now, but if I find out that you went to the doctor instead, I will keep you here or keep them here, and I'll make you be the one to choose," he said as I nodded. I knew I didn't want either of those scenarios to happen.

As soon as I was un-cuffed, I was out the door. I drove to my house quickly, and allowed myself to get lost in my own head. I had so much to make right, but I didn't know if I was going to have time to make my father proud of me. Not only that, but I wasn't sure how I was going to prove to him that Bella and Ava needed me — only me, and that I was the man they deserved. There was nothing I wouldn't do to keep them with me always.

I think my heart broke a little with this chapter…let me know what you are thinking? I'll see you next Monday!


	25. Chapter 25

Happy Monday! This chapter needs a little bit of a warning…so you're warned.

Thanks to toocute24 for all the help. Also thanks to my newest pre-reader krazi4twisaga! She is just as amazing as all my other girls! If you need something to read I'm sure you love her stories. Lastly, the biggest thank you goes out to weekitty for helping with the ending. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have finished this story!

Own nothing but the plot proudly!

Carlisle called us over to his house for dinner, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but we haven't gone over there in a while. We packed up everything we needed for Ava before we headed out.

"My father has a bug up his ass, so I would advise you to be on your best behavior," Edward said to me as he drove.

"I understand. We haven't gone over there in a while," I said as he hummed in agreement.

After that, we were quiet for the rest of the drive. When we pulled up I smiled happily, knowing that I was going to get to see Esme. I hadn't really seen her in weeks. I often wondered if she was being punished when we didn't see each other on a weekly basis. I had a feeling that Carlisle's ideas of punishments were much worse than Edward's.

"Hi! I've missed you all so much," Esme said as she welcomed us with hugs. She took the seat from Edward, and just as we neared the stairs, we were met with a furious looking Carlisle.

"I need to speak with the two of you," he said as he clenched and unclenched his fists. I knew this wasn't going to be good.

I grabbed a hold of Edward tightly as he led me up the stairs. My heart was racing a mile a minute. No one who looked that mad just wanted to talk. I knew after Edward's breakdown about being kept away from us, that time alone with Carlisle wasn't a good thing. As we walked, we passed the office, and I knew he had all their talks there. Edward stopped for a second before he started to walk again as his grip grew tighter on me. This wasn't good. Carlisle opened a door and went in.

"Be extra good, Baby," Edward whispered to me as he pulled me right up against his body.

"Everything I do is for my family," Carlisle started once the door was closed. "I hate when I have to clean up messes, and the two of you have so many to clean that I don't know where to start first."

"Dad, everything has been okay."

"I hate the word okay!" Carlisle yelled, making me jump. "You are a stupid little bitch, and I honestly don't think you're worth the headache. Edward, I want you to get rid of her and we can find you another wife," he said as I rose to my feet. Before Carlisle could turn around and face us, Edward harshly pulled me back to my seat. "You and Ava can live here until you are married again."

"Dad, I love Bella. She has been doing so well lately," Edward said softly.

"You could go to prison because of her! If that happens, your mother and I will take care of your daughter, but we will not take care of her," Carlisle spat. I didn't know he hated me like that.

"Carlisle, how can I prove to you that I'm good enough?" I asked as Edward squeezed my hand.

"I don't think there is really anything you can do. When I look at you, all I can see is the reason I may never see my son again," he said, getting right up in my face.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen," I said as tears filled my eyes. I knew all too well that Carlisle hated when I cried.

"Dad, she didn't do anything," Edward said just before Carlisle's fist connected with Edward chest.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled as I sat myself on Edward's lap to keep his father away from him. "Why did you hit him? He didn't do anything! I'm sorry my father was a nasty man. I don't know what you want me to do!" Carlisle took me by the arms and pushed me to the floor. I heard a gagging noise, and as I got back up to my feet, I saw Carlisle choking Edward.

"Carlisle, I will do anything to make this better," I said as my tears came. He took his hands off Edward's neck and then punched him in the gut, making Edward choke for air even more.

"You'll do anything?" he asked, grabbing ahold of my shirt and pushing me into the wall behind me.

"Anything, I'll do anything, just don't hurt him anymore!" I begged.

"Will you commit perjury? Would lie on the stand to save him?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "I would do it to save him. I don't want him going to prison."

"You could go to jail for lying," he said, staring me down.

"I understand," I replied as he let me go.

"Edward is a good boy, and I think you are ruining him," Carlisle said as he glared at Edward. "You sit there and don't say a fucking word," he snapped at Edward, who nodded his head in conformation. "You better not fuck this up, and you better remember everything I'm about to tell you."

~~~~AOMM~~~~~

I jumped out of my skin when the doorbell rang, and I took off running for the door before they could ring it again. I had just laid Ava down, and I knew the doorbell always woke her up. Sure enough, as soon as I opened the door, I heard her little cries.

"I don't have time for you or your crap today," I said as soon as I saw Hale on the other side of the door.

"Please, Bella, I just need ten minutes," she stressed as I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever," I said with a resigned sigh. "What do you want?" I questioned as I ran up the stairs, knowing she'd follow me. "Our little visits have been done for months now."

"This isn't an official visit, Bella. No one knows I'm here but you and I need it to stay that way," she explained as I made it to my daughter's room.

"Why? I don't keep things from Edward," I stated as I scooped up my baby girl.

"Because I need your help. This has to stay between the two of us for it to work. Oh Bella, she's beautiful," she said when she saw Ava. "I heard you named her Ava?"

"Yeah," I said as I rocked her back and forth. Within a minute, she fell back to sleep. "What can I do for you, Doctor?" We made it downstairs and sat in the living room.

"Bella, there has been information uncovered, and it's not good," she started, handing me a folder. I opened it, but I didn't want to know what was inside.

"I don't want to know anything," I said with tears on my eyes as I quickly closed it.

"It's a DNA report," she said, pointing to the folder. I couldn't look at it, so I handed the folder back to her.

"I don't know what you want from me," I said, clearing my throat.

"I want you to know that everything is going to be okay," she said as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"You think whatever is in that folder is going to fix everything?"

"No, but I think it's a start."

"And you want to show me something that I can't talk to my husband about? You're a jerk!" I yell at her.

"I didn't come here to upset you. I thought this was a good thing."

"A good thing? Really?"

"The trial starts in a week, and I don't see it lasting very long. If it goes into a second day I would be shocked. I'm here to help you, Bella. Here's my card with my cell phone number on it. Use it whenever you need to. I'm going to go, now. I didn't think this would upset you; I just wanted to give you hope and show you I'm not the bad guy. I'm pulling for the two of you," she said as she got up to leave.

"Why the change of heart?" I asked.

"There's so much you need to know, but I don't know if I can trust you."

My stomach was in knots, but I knew what I needed to do. I needed to know what was going on, and she needed to hear what I knew. It was time.

"Doctor Hale, do you want to have a cup tea with me? I want to talk to you. I think I need your help."

~~~~AOMM~~~~~

The days leading up to the trial were so slow. Edward and I were spending as much together as we could. I loved him so much, and I couldn't stand the thought of him ever going away. I needed my husband more than anything. I didn't want Ava growing up without her father, and honestly, I believed that Carlisle would take Ava away from me the first chance he got. I knew there was nothing I would be able to do about it, either. We were having family time as much as we could. Edward would nap with Ava, and play with her whenever she was awake. She was always smiling at him, and I loved to watch the two of them together. Sometimes my emotions would get the best of me, and I would leave the room because I could feel the tears coming on. I was doing everything I could to keep my family together. I was shocked at whom my friends were through all of this, and sad to admit that Esme and Carlisle didn't top that list. Carlisle was only worried about himself and his idea that Edward was the perfect son.

Whenever Carlisle was around, he would just talk and talk to me, and after a while, I stopped listening. He would say the same thing over and over again. I felt like he was just being mean and that always made Edward mean. I hated to hear him call Edward horrible names. When they weren't around, I felt like we were the perfect couple. There was no fighting or punishments. It was just us, and we did things our way. It was wonderful, and I absolutely loved it.

Two days before the trial, we headed to Portland. Alice and Jasper were sharing a room with us since they were taking care of Ava while we were in court. The two of them have been great, and I couldn't have asked for better people in my life.

The day before the trial, Edward met with his lawyer. After their little meeting, Edward was freaking out. He said the prosecution was being sneaky, and he wasn't sure what they had up their sleeves. I felt bad knowing the truth and not being able to tell him. I wish Hale had never showed up. It was a good thing, though, for the fact that I was able to tell her everything Carlisle had told me to say. She assured me that I had done the right thing, so that made me feel a little better. I just told Edward that everything happened for a reason, and made him think that he told me that long ago. I held him that night and we talked about all of our happy memories. We needed to be happy for a few more minutes.

"Baby," he whispered into the dark, "you know I love you, right?" I had a feeling our happy time was over.

"I don't question your love, Edward," I said, trying not to cry.

"Will you do me the biggest favor ever?"

"Of course. I would do anything for you," I told him as we continued to hold each other tightly.

"If I'm found guilty, I want you to leave," he said as I lifted my head.

"Leave?"

"I don't want Ava around my father. There are things you don't know, and I don't ever want you to know them…"

"Where would I go?" I asked as I started to shake.

"Jasper will help you. I can trust him. Just do as he tells you," he said as I clung to my husband and cried.

"You're not going to prison. You're not. You didn't kill anyone."

"Don't ever let Ava forget me…"

"Stop!" I begged as I heard Edward sniffle.

"The last few months have been a mind fuck for me, and I don't know what's real anymore. Just know my love for you has always been real, and I'm so happy to be a father. I don't know why this is happing to us, but please know my love is real."

"Please stop talking to me like we are never going to see each other again," I cried.

"We don't know what tomorrow is going to bring; I need to say this." I couldn't take this. He has never really fallen apart like this. This wasn't him. He was strong. He was a man. I didn't understand why he was saying all of this.

"Don't cry. Please don't cry," I said to him as I wiped his tears away.

"I promise to be a better man if I don't go to prison. I promise to be everything you need…"

"You are all that I need."

"Bella," he said with a pause. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything; all of this. I never wanted this for you or our daughter," he cried.

"I know," I said as he shook his head and sat up. I followed his lead.

"I'm going to tell you something, but this has to stay between us. My father can NEVER know what I'm about to tell you. I want us to be real, and we're not real," he said as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I love you no matter what."

"I hope so," he said with a sad sigh. "I did kidnap you, Bella. You didn't want to come with me. Actually, the first time you saw me was in your kitchen when I made you come with me. I thought I was better than your father…"

"You are better than my father," I said as he laughed sarcastically.

"I forced you to be with me. I made you love me."

"You can't make someone love another person."

"You can and I did. I never wanted anyone like I wanted you. I had to have you. I would have done anything to make you mine, and that's exactly what I did. Your love for me isn't real, but…"

"My love is real!" I said, getting angry.

"Stop interrupting me!" he snapped. "Let me fucking say this. I'm going against everything I was ever taught," he said, taking a deep breath while wiping his face. "If I get to go home with you and our daughter, you will never have to go into the closet again. I don't know how much I can change, but I will do my best. I love you, and I want to do right by you."

"I love you, too, and I will do anything I have to do so we can stay together. I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy about the whole closet thing, but I love you for who you are, and if that means I have to go into the closet again, then so be it," I said as he chuckled.

"I'm not a good person, Baby," he said as I quickly tried to deny it. "I think I will always be fucked up."

"Me, too," I said as we sat there quietly, holding hands.

"We may never see my parents after the trial," he said out of nowhere. "If that happens, I promise to tell you everything."

"Okay," was my simple answer. I had so much I wanted to share with him, but I knew I couldn't. I knew what was coming the next day, and we just had to get through it. Hopefully, we would get through it together.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

My heart was racing so badly I had to concentrate on my breathing. After our morning, I was all over the place emotionally. The way Edward clung to Ava broke my heart. He had to come back us, he just had to. Ava needed to know her daddy, and I wanted to make sure that happened. As we sat and waited for the judge to enter the courtroom, I clung to Edward's hand. I kissed his knuckles every chance I got, too. Right before the judge walked in, I pulled him to me and hugged him tight.

"I love you so much and I'm sorry," I whispered as he pulled back. Before he could question me, the judge walked into the room.

After the opening of the trial was said and done, I started to shake; I knew what was coming. I looked to my right and saw Doctor Hale gave me a small smile.

"Your Honor, there have been many twist and turns with this case. With that said, the first person we would like to call to the stand is Isabella Cullen," the prosecutor stated as Carlisle grabbed my arm.

"Objection!" Edward's lawyer yelled.

"Overruled," the judge said quickly.

Carlisle let go of me, and I refused to look at him. I knew if I did, I would lose all my courage. When I reached the stand, I took a deep breath. I knew I was doing the right thing — for Edward, for Ava…for my family.

"State your name for the record," the bailiff said.

"Isabella Cullen," I said with a shaky voice.

"Do you swear to tell truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do," I said as my eyes filled with tears; that was my first lie. I looked ahead of me and saw Doctor Hale nod at me. I knew she was egging me on. She understood exactly how scared I was. I saw a woman crying in front of Hale, and I had a feeling of who she was without having to ask.

"Isabella, when did you meet your husband?"

"I met him on May twentieth of 2010," I said, looking directly at Edward.

"And how did you meet him?"

"At the Shop and Go in my town."

"When you left with him, was your father alive?"

"I don't know. I barley ever saw him."

"When was the last time you did see him?"

"That morning."

"Can you please take us though that morning?"

"Um…it was raining and I had to get to school. I told him I had to work after school, and he told me he hated my voice. He said I was nothing but a nagging bitch," I said, taking a deep breath. "He told me I could use the exercise and walk my fat ass there. I swore at him, so he cracked me across the face and said he wished I'd fall off the face of the Earth. He said he would knock my teeth out of my head if I spoke to him that way ever again. That was when I knew I wanted to leave with Edward, so that's exactly what I did that night," I said as my nerves started to ease. It was easier than I thought.

"So you went willingly?"

"Objection! Mr. Cullen is not on trial for the charges that have already been dropped," Aro said loudly, making me jump.

"I have a point," the prosecutor said quickly. "We're asking for a different reason."

"Then get there," the judge said. "You may answer the question, Isabella."

"Yes, I did. And, for the record, my neighbor did see him push me into the car. I was scared that Charlie would come home and hurt Edward, and I didn't want that."

"Thank you, Bella," the prosecutor said before asking his next question. "Do you know everyone sitting in the front row here?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," I said.

"Can you name them, please?"

"Sue Clearwater, Billy Black, Officer Willis, and Mrs. Goffery," I said with a smile.

"You remember these people?"

"Yes, Sir." I looked back to Edward and he had tears in his eyes. He knew I remembered some of my past, not just what I was told to say.

"What time did you make it home from work that night?" the prosecutor asked, stepping between Edward and me.

"Around five," I said as Aro stood up.

"Then we request a dismissal, Your Honor," Aro said. "The reports clearly state that Mr. Swan was killed between ten pm and midnight."

"Were you and your husband together for the rest of that night?" the judge asked me.

"We were," I said.

"Isabella, do you know who those two people are sitting with Doctor Hale?"

"No, Sir, but I have an idea?" I said as I started to cry. I looked to Edward, and saw that he was making eye contact with the woman.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. You may step down," the judge said to me. I did as I was told, but the bailiff walked me to Doctor Hale. "This case has been a nightmare, but with the help of the FBI, I think both side have come to an agreement?"

"Yes, your honor," the prosecutor and Aro both said. I really didn't think he knew what was going on.

"Carlisle Cullen, please stand," the judge ordered as I looked at Carlisle for the first time. He looked he was enraged. Even Esme had moved away from him a little. Officer Willis and another officer approached him.

"Carlisle Cullen, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Anthony Higgins Jr.," Officer Willis said as the court erupted with chatter. Carlisle was screaming at Edward, and I was pretty sure he said he would get his hands on me. In the mist of all the craziness, though, I slipped out the door with Doctor Hale. I didn't talk again until we were in her car and headed for the hotel.

"What's going to happen to Esme?" I asked, feeling slightly numb. All the secrets I had been keeping were now out, and I didn't have to hide anymore.

"We don't believe that Esme had anything to do with it. I doubt we will ever know for sure, though. Carlisle had documents made up that were very believable. After I spoke with Alice and Jasper, I did more digging," she said as I nodded.

"Was Edward abused by his real parents?"

"Not that we know of," she said as I nodded. "Were you ever told about when he was little?"

"A little. Esme told me once that he didn't talk, that he refused sleep in a bed, and that he wasn't taken care of before them," I said as she nodded.

"Have you thought about what you and Ava are going to do now?" she asked as she pulled up to the hotel.

"Yeah, we're going to be okay," I said with a smile.

"Good luck, Bella," she said sweetly.

"Thank you," I said to her as she smiled. I got out of the car and just about ran to my room so I could hold my daughter.

"How'd it go?" Jasper asked as soon as I was through the door.

"As good as expected," I said as he smiled.

"They arrested Carlisle?" Alice asked, handing me my perfect little girl.

"They did, and Edward's real parents were there," I said before I told them everything that had happened.

"Do you want us to stay?" Jasper asked.

"No, I'm good. Edward and I have a long talk coming. I'll see you guys when we get home," I said as they nodded.

"Call me if you need me," Alice smiled, hugging my neck.

"I promise," I said as I returned her smile.

They left as planned, and I took the alone time I had to get my thoughts together.

~~~~AOMM~~~~~~

Hours passed and Edward still wasn't back yet. He hadn't called me or anything. I was hoping he would show up. Ava was already down for the night by the time he did show up. When I heard the door click, my heart started to race. I stood as he rounded the corner, and noticed that his face was red and blotchy; I knew he had been crying. His breathing picked up as he stared at me, and that scared me. I didn't know what was coming. I wanted to go to him and hug him, but I needed to know what he was feeling first.

"How much did you know of what was going to happen today?" he asked with a scratchy voice.

"Everything," I said as he hung his head.

"It scares me that you were such a good liar up there," he said with tears in his eyes.

"I didn't lie. I told the truth as I remembered it," I said as he shook his head.

"Everything you said was what you remembered?"

"Yes," I admitted. "Look, I love you, Edward. You have showed me more love than I ever thought possible. I know now that your father was the problem."

"I'm not letting you go, so don't even think that I've had some sort of epiphany," he said as he walked to me.

"Ava needs her dad, and I need my husband," I said as I started to cry. "I love you."

"I love you, too, so much," he said as he pulled me into him and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry. I'll tell you everything about how it happened…everything."

"I don't care about any of it. I just want to move on," I said as he shook his head no. "Yes; this is the way I want it. Let me have the only family I've ever known." It made me feel better when he pulled me into his lap. "I don't care about the past. I just want to worry about our future."

"I don't know how to get better. My head is so…fucked," he said, laying his head on my shoulder. "I always looked up to Carlisle. Everything I did was for him. I needed him to be proud of me; I wanted to be just like him. I always thought he was so strong and I wanted that. Now, everything seemed to be a lie."

"You'll get to where you want to be if you try," I said as he placed his head on the back of the couch. "What happened after I left?"

"Why did you leave? Were you planning on running? I wouldn't have stopped until I found you," he said as I nodded. I had no doubt he would find me, but running was never a thought in my mind.

"I wasn't going to run. I just wanted to be here with our daughter," I said as he hummed.

"I'm so fucked up that when I realized you were gone, the first thought that ran through my head was that I wanted to beat your ass. I'm going to try to change, but you can't just take off like that. I need to know where you are at all times. I need to know that you're okay," he said as I nodded my head in understanding.

"I just wanted to be with our baby, I promise," I said as he hummed again.

"Where are Jasper and Alice?"

"They went back home."

"Why?"

"To give us our space. They knew everything that was going to happen… They were the ones that got Hale to investigate your past more."

"How long have you known?" he asked as I started to fidget. Edward seemed calm, but I knew better than anyone how quickly his mood could change.

"I've known everything since last week. Hale stopped by the house to show me papers, but I refused to look; I didn't want to know anything. She finally showed me the missing child report and the DNA test after I told her everything that Carlisle said I needed say. After I found out, things changed, and I knew I wanted to do something to help if it was true. A part of me knew it was, too. I told her I remembered the dates she wanted to know, and how everything happened that day," I whispered. Edward moved me off his lap, and at first I thought he was mad.

"I need to change out of these clothes. Have you eaten?"

"I ate. We have some pizza left over; do you want me to heat it up for you? I could order you something from room service," I said as he nodded.

"The pizza will be fine," he answered as I took a deep breath. I felt like parts of us were still there, and that felt normal to me. In a way, that was what I needed. By the time I had his food warmed up, he was out and ready to eat.

"When did you know I wasn't guilty?" he asked when I set a beer down in front of him.

"I didn't. I just had a gut feeling and went with it. If you need to spank me, I understand," I said, knowing how mad he was going to be.

"Just keep talking to me. I want to know everything," he said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"Last week, when I told Hale everything I knew, she said the timelines weren't matching up. She said she needed to look into things more. Um…I don't know what else to say," I told him as I played with my fingers.

"What made you trust her?"

"I think it happened once I knew she was trying to help you," I said as he ate more of his food. "Where's Esme?"

"In her room. I told her to take a bath and to go to bed. She swears up and down that she didn't know. I think I believe her, but I really don't know who or what to believe," he said, sounding sad.

"Hale said she didn't think Esme had anything to do with it," I offered as he nodded.

"No more lies and no more secrets," he stated as I nodded in understanding. "I have to know the truth about everything. I need to know you won't ever lie to me."

"When you got arrested, and Hale took me to Charlie's house, I took my journal and kept it. I read it a few times. Things started to come back to me in bits and pieces then. I remember almost everything — the cabin, the drive. It all came back after that day with Carlisle. I told Jasper to burn the journal once he got home. I don't want that part of my life in my life anymore," I said as he stared at me.

"I trust Jasper," he said as I agreed. "I talked to the people that they say are my real parents."

"Oh? How'd that go?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do. I need Carlisle to tell me what to do."

"Just do what you want."

"Do you think it's that easy?!" he yelled. I flinched at his harsh tone. "I have been told what to do all my life, and now I have to come up with it on my own, plus worry about you and our daughter. On top of that, I also have my mother to worry about," he said, calming himself down. I knew this was going to be a lot to take in, but I didn't realize what Edward was going through. I knew I needed to tread lightly when it came to Carlisle.

"I'm sorry. I understand," I said as he started to eat more. "Will you tell me about your real parents?"

"They told me I was never abused — that they never hurt me. I remember very little from when I was a kid, but I always had this recurring dream about the zoo. In my dream, the little boy was so happy and so excited to see the monkeys. Elizabeth, my real mother, told me a story about how we used to go to the zoo a lot. She said I loved the monkeys. Tony, my real father, said they have video of me as a child, and if I ever wanted to see them, I could. All the way here, Esme kept telling me that she was my mother, and she didn't care about a piece of paper. Bella, I don't know what to do," he said, giving me pleading eyes.

"This is all too weird. I don't even know what to think," I said.

"I want to see my dad, but then again, I don't want to. When he thinks he's losing control, he will do anything to get it back…I'm scared of what he will do," he told me.

"Well, we know the truth now. You tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it. Last night, why did you say you didn't want Ava around him?" I asked, needing to know.

"A few weeks ago, he told me to start spanking her. He said if I started now, she would learn quicker. He said by the time she was one, to start putting her in the closet for her timeouts," he said as I gasped.

"She's just a baby!" I cried. "Please don't ever do that."

"I won't. I never wanted to. If I was to go to prison, I knew you wouldn't be allowed to live with them. You know my dad blames you for everything that happened. He would have found you unfit, and they would've taken our daughter. Even if he would have let you stay, he would have taken her away from you every time you sneezed wrong," he said, shaking his head. "That's what he told me to do with you…and I told him I did, but I couldn't. Man, I'm so weak," he said covering his face.

"Thank you for not taking her away from me."

"Don't thank me for anything. The day he kept me away from you was one of the worse days of my life. I never wanted to make you feel the pain and hurt I felt that day. I don't even know if I can do this."

"You can. I believe in you."

"Just shut up!" he snapped as I looked down. "I'm so tired and ready for bed; let's go," he said, leaving the other slice of pizza untouched.

We went to bed that night, and we may have been in the same bed, right next to each other, but I felt that we were worlds apart.

Well…what do you think? There is only one more chapter before the epi! This has been a crazy ride and I'm glad you all joined me. Thanks so much for all the reviews!

To anyone in the way of the hurricane please be safe! Here in NY will be hit sometime today but I'm hoping that it's not as bad as they are saying.


	26. Chapter 26

For six months after the trial, life had become a living hell. There was no other way to describe it. Edward was fighting with whomever was willing to give him the time of day, and nothing seemed to make him happy. This meant that in return, I wasn't happy. Since I was starting to remember things from my past, Edward was acting like he did when we first came to Forks. It made life so hard for me. Nothing was ever enough. I didn't clean anything right, I wasn't a good enough mother, and Edward made it a known fact that I sucked as a wife. If it weren't for Jasper and Alice, I would have lost my mind. Things were even becoming hard with Ava. She was crawling and starting to climb onto everything. She was nine months old and very active. I was grateful that she was the apple of Edward's eye. I didn't know what I would do if he ever snapped at her. I knew he would one day, but I hoped for the best outcome when it happened. She was so little and still learning, and it would break me to hear him yell at her.

Edward was back to spanking me. He was grasping at his own reality, so he was sticking to anything that was normal to him. Esme wasn't helping matters any, either. She was desperately trying to keep things the way they were when Carlisle was around. She always threw her two cents in when Edward and I were getting along, throwing a wrench into the mix. One time Edward and I were messing around playing keep away — you know, just having fun — and she clicked her stupid tongue at us.

"This is not how a married couple should act," she said scolding us.

"Watch your tone with me," Edward said, snapping right back at her. "This house and my family is not your concern."

"Here's your shirt," I said, handing him it. He couldn't find it earlier even though it was right where I told him it was. When I found it, I couldn't help messing with him about it.

"Don't look like you are going to cry. Neither of us were doing anything wrong," he said, putting his shirt on.

"You know better than to act like a child," Esme said to Edward. "I think you need to speak with your father the next time he calls. He will not be pleased to hear that you have been behaving this way." She was being so pushy and I knew Edward was going to flip on her if she didn't stop.

"Quit talking right now!" Edward warned her.

I sighed and rubbed my husband's back soothingly, knowing that he was getting worked up, which is exactly what Esme wanted. She always made sure she brought out the Carlisle side in Edward every time she was around. For me, it was making everything more unbearable.

"Fine, I need to go to the store tomorrow. Is that okay?" she asked him.

"It's fine," he said through a clenched jaw. "You don't have to ask me." I knew he was barely able to keep up with what he needed to do at home. Having to worry about Esme was driving him even crazier.

"I see," she said, collecting her things. "I'm going to go."

"You do that," Edward said before walking away. Once he was out of sight, Esme turned to me.

"You know your place and you better keep it. I will not lose my son over this, as well. I wish Edward had never met you, because then I would still have my family," she said before leaving. I had never heard her be so mean before, but that seemed to be the way she was now.

Her words stuck with me for weeks, and a part of me yearned her approval. Edward noticed the change in me, because he asked me numerous times what was wrong. I always told him it was nothing, but I knew he still worried. Losing myself in my housework seemed to be the only thing to keep me grounded. I kept myself on a strict schedule because that worked for me. I made sure the house was cleaned and our daughter was taken care of. After almost a month, Edward sat me down to talk.

"Ava's down for the night and I want you to tell me what's wrong. I'm thinking the worst here," he said as I brought my knees to my chest.

"I'm just trying to keep us together. You've been better since I went back to the old schedule," I told him as he nodded.

"You barely leave the house, and I've noticed that you haven't spoken to Alice in a week," he commented.

"I just want to us to be okay before I go worrying about other things," I said truthfully.

"The last few weeks have been better. I'm not as stressed, but…I want you happy, too," he said as I nodded.

"As long as you and our daughter are happy, I'm happy," I said as he rolled his eyes.

"You and Alice are going to go shopping. I want you to have some time to yourself. You've definitely earned it," he said as I smiled.

I inched closer to him and pressed my lips to his gently, almost hesitantly, since I wasn't sure how he would react. We hadn't been intimate in a while due to all the stress around here, but I knew that both of us needed each other right now. He kissed me back and pulled me over onto his lap, needing to feel me physically just as much as I needed to feel him. The way his hands felt on my face and neck told me that we were going to be okay. I pressed myself even closer to his chest as our tongues tangled together. His arms wrapped around me like a vice, holding onto me so tightly, it was like he was never going to let me go.

His hands fisted my clothes and I kissed, licked, and nibbled his neck as he pressed his hard cock into me. When we broke apart, I leaned back to unbutton his jeans while he pulled the straps of my bra and dress down my arms, freeing my breasts for him. As soon as I had him free of his jeans, he reached under my dress and pulled my panties to the side, and we worked together to get him inside of me. I was soon filled with him as he pressed his forehead to mine. I moved slowly, wanting our connection to last. I needed him so badly. I loved how his hands melded to my head as he cocked it to the side so he could gain full access to my mouth. I whimpered as he sucked on my bottom lip. He kissed me all over my jaw and neck as my movements quickened. He was driving me crazy, but in a very good way. He pulled me away from his body so he could suck on each of my nipples as my orgasm ripped through me. I moaned loudly as he took over by thrusting in and out of me. Being physical was what we needed to reconnect. We needed the connection to reassure one another that we were still very much in love. We needed to know that one thing hadn't changed. After he filled me with his seed, we stayed joined for as long as we could.

Things got better after that night. We seemed to be talking more, and it really seemed to be helping. He was offered his job back on the force, but he declined. He said he didn't want to be a cop anymore. He said it wouldn't feel right going back, and I understood his reasoning. He was now working for the carpenters union and loving his job. He was making new friends and more money. I would have never known that if he didn't tell me. He never talked about our finances with me before, but he was starting to now. I knew him talking to me was probably how he would have talked with his father. He would tell me his thoughts, and I would agree or disagree. We would talk about what he wanted and what he thought was the best. In the end, we would come up the best solution for us as a family. We were changing little by little, and if things changed too much, he would end up taking a few steps back. I knew things may never change fully, but as long as we were where he wanted us to be, I was fine with that.

The worst freak out from Edward came when I got too comfortable with being able to do what I wanted. I had gone out shopping with Alice one day, and told her that I wanted to make a nice dinner for Edward and me. She said that she would watch Ava and then bring her home later on that night. I was excited, and we went and shopped for everything I would need. I didn't want to give my surprise away, so I just told Edward I was going out. I didn't think twice about it because things had been going so well. Our romantic dinner didn't happen; we fought the whole time instead.

"Where the fuck have you been?!" Edward yelled as soon as I walked through the door.

"I told you I was going out," I said as I brought the bags to the kitchen. It threw me for a loop when Edward grabbed a hold of me, pushing me into the wall. With a slam of his hand against the wall behind me, he made his point known. I hadn't seen him so angry in a while.

"Where is my daughter?" he asked harshly.

"With Alice…"

"Why?"

"I wanted alone time with you. I thought we could both use it," I said quickly.

"You thought?! Why would I want alone time with you?" he asked harshly, making me shrink back.

"What happened today?" I asked, trying to hold back my tears.

"You think you're a good mother? You think you're a good wife? Hate to tell you, Babe, but you suck. You do nothing right!" he snapped as tears spilled over onto my cheeks.

"Why are you being so mean?" I whispered.

"Because you piss me off," he said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me behind him. We ended up in the bedroom and my heart was racing. I didn't know what happened during the day, but I knew it was bad.

"You need to stop. You're scaring me," I said as I yanked my wrist away from him. "What happened today?" He lunged at me and I tried to get away, but he was quicker. He wrapped his arms around me, locking my arms at my side.

"Sometimes I really hate my life and everyone in it," he said into my ear. "Sometimes I don't think you understand how much I hurt." I started to fight him when he went for the closet.

"Edward, you promised!" I cried as I wiggled in his arms.

"I should have never promised you anything. Promises are for the weak," he said as he locked one arm around me and then opened the door with his other hand. "I will not be weak!"

"Please, please, please don't do this. I'll be good. I'll do anything you want me to do," I sobbed as he shoved me inside, shutting the door behind me. It only took me a matter of minutes to pass out from hyperventilating.

I woke up in my bed alone. I looked at the clock to see that I had been out for well over an hour. I sat up and blinked when I saw that the door was off the closet. I was so confused. I carefully climbed out of bed and quietly walked through the house. He wasn't in the office, and I couldn't hear any noise in the house. I found Edward in the living room with a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Edward?" I said in a whisper.

"Don't speak to me right now. Go do something to keep yourself busy," he said to me. He didn't say it in a mean tone, but he almost sounded as if he didn't care.

"Do you need anything?"

"Quiet," was his answer.

"Do you want Ava to stay with Alice?" I asked.

"She already is," he said. "I said to leave me alone." And that was exactly what I did.

I went to the kitchen to keep myself busy. With the way he was drinking, I knew he needed to eat. I made a small pot of beef stew, and when it was done, Edward found his way into the kitchen. I took out the Grands busquits I had made and waited for him to talk.

"You are to tell me your every move from now on. I tried to just go with the flow, but I hate it. I don't care if you are just going to the gas station, I better know," he said as I nodded.

"I understand," I said, looking down at my feet. I couldn't look him in the face. I knew he was drunk and that scared me. Then with him putting me in the closet…I just couldn't do it.

"Are you scared of me now?" he asked as I felt him move closer to me.

"Do you want me to be?"

"Right now I don't care either way," he said as he placed his hand on my face. It took everything inside of me, but I was able to keep myself from flinching.

"I'm sorry for today," I said to our feet. "It won't happen again."

"No, it won't," he said as his grip grew tighter on my jaw. "Look at me." I slowly lifted my head to look at him. I could tell that he was hurting, but I knew there was no talking to him right now. I needed to wait until he came to me, and I was sure he would eventually.

"I'll try harder to be good," I said as my eyes filled with tears.

"I have to be in control. I can't let that go," he admitted.

I nodded, already having figured that out for myself. "I understand."

"You can never leave me. I can't let you."

"I won't leave," I promised.

"I haven't spanked you in a while, have I?" he asked as I swallowed thickly.

"No," I whispered. He hadn't, either.

"I think you need one so you can remember who is in charge," he said. Like I could ever forget.

He spun me around and I grasped the counter. He undid my pants and had them down before I could comprehend anything. The spanking was so weird. He would hit me hard and then squeeze, rubbing the sting out before he would hit me again. He spanked me like that for a while. It was the longest spanking I had ever received. When he was done, he held me where I was. Next thing I knew, he had his cock buried deep inside of me. He slammed himself into me over and over. His hand went to my throat as he pulled my body flush with his.

"You will never leave me no matter what I do because I need you. You are the only person that loves me or cares for me," he said into my ear.

"Okay," I moaned as he pulled back just to plunge into me again.

"Say you love me. That you need me," he almost begged.

"I love you so much. I need you so badly and I can't live without you. I will love you no matter what," I cried and he slammed into me three more times. He let go of my throat and leaned on my back, pinning me to the counter.

"I love you, too," he said. He continued to fuck me, but it was less harsh than when he had started. When he finished, he pulled out of me, and as he was stuffing himself back into his pants, I pulled mine up.

"Are you hungry?" I asked softly.

"No, I want sleep," he said, staggering out of the kitchen. I heard him stomp up the stairs and I let him be. I knew something happened to set him off like that, the only problem was that I didn't know what. And without knowing, there was no way to try to stop it from happening again. That meant I was going to have to walk on egg shells around him once more.

The next morning, I woke up to him sleeping on my back. When I looked at the clock and saw that it was after eight, I knew I needed to get up and check on Ava. I did my best to get out of bed without waking Edward up, but I failed.

"What are you doing?" he asked with his voice thick with sleep.

"I'm going to use the bathroom then call and check on Ava," I said as he nodded.

After I was done with the bathroom, I gave Edward some pain relievers and water; I knew he had to have a headache. I then stepped out of the room and called Alice. She tried to play twenty questions with me, but when I told her I didn't know what was going on, she let it go. She asked if Jasper needed to come over, but I told her no. I didn't think there was anything Jasper could do. When I went back into the bedroom, Edward was on his back with his arm over his eyes, so I went to the dresser to find some clothes to throw on. I thought Edward had gone back to sleep, but I was wrong.

"Come sit down. I want to talk to you," he said before I could leave the room. "Where were you headed just now?"

"I was just going to clean and make breakfast," I said, looking at my hands.

"I'm sorry for putting you in the closet last night. It won't happen again," he said as I stared at my hands. I really couldn't take his word for it anymore. "Hey," he said softly, lifting my chin up. "I mean it, Baby. I was fucked in the head last night and it won't happen again."

"I understand," I said as he sighed. I knew I had to tell him what he wanted to hear.

"I ruined everything last night," he said as I sat there. "We were doing so well with talking to each other, and now you won't even look at me."

"I don't know what you want me to say," I said, kind of looking at him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles.

"I think something happened yesterday," I said quietly.

"Yeah, my dad is bringing me down with him," he told me. "My mom told him I had gotten soft and that I was letting you do whatever you wanted. God, I just didn't know what to do and I took it out on you. An FBI agent showed up at the job site yesterday. Every time I think we are going to be okay, something happens…I want to give up."

"Don't give up, please," I said softly. "What did the agent say? If you don't mind me asking," I said quickly.

"I don't mind," he sighed, "You are the only person I have to talk to. I'm going to have to go see my mother today, as well. I have to do something to help her. I know I have to have some control over her. It's the life she is used to. I think I need to put her on a set schedule or something," he said as I nodded. I knew the whole thing with his mom was bothering him.

"I understand that, and I don't mind if that is how things have to be here. I'm not going anywhere," I said as he nodded. "I won't forget my place again."

"This is where I'm torn. I want you to be able to go to the store and not have me freak out, but I feel this anxiety every time. I don't think I can let go of the control."

"I understand and I'm fine with it," I told him honestly. "So what did the agent have to say?"

"My father told him the truth about everything. He told them that I raped you and forced you to be with me. The agent said nothing was going to come of it because everything has already been laid to rest. I'm scared that I'm going to lose you, and I need to make sure that doesn't happen. I can't lose my family," he told me as I nodded.

"You never raped me or forced me to be with you, so please stop talking about it," I said with a sigh.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Sorry, I wasn't meaning to," I said, looking back at my hands.

"Some things are going to change, but some aren't, and that is the way it has to be," he said as I nodded. I understood what he was saying. I took it as my cue to leave the room when he let go of my hand and rolled to his side. I knew there was nothing I could say or do to make anything better.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

Edward said everything was going to be okay. He told me he had a plan, but I wasn't seeing much of anything happening. I tried to question him, but that ended in a spanking. Just when I thought I was his go-to person to talk to, he would tell me to mind my business. I hated when he wouldn't talk to me. I liked being the person he went to; it made me feel like his equal — that my opinion mattered. I knew things took time to change, but I needed to see something! Esme, I was sure, was going crazy. She was very unstable and I didn't want her around Ava. Edward told me to keep my thoughts to myself. I needed him to see what I had seen. Esme had raised her voice at Ava several times, and I have even caught her slapping Ava's hands. I was her mother; I was the one that should have been disciplining her. When I told Edward, he said I was trying to cause problems. Then with Esme's comments to me, I was falling apart. I needed my husband on my side and he wasn't there.

Edward left the house, telling me to stay put. He said he had some things to take care of. I was grateful for the time alone. I put Ava down for a nap, and went about cleaning the house. When she woke up from her nap, I fed her lunch and then we played. I was shocked when I heard someone knocking. I quickly went to the door, only to find Esme on the other side. I was surprised she didn't use her key.

"Edward's not here," I said to her, keeping the door half closed. I really didn't want her in the house.

"I'm here to see you," she said as the old lady pushed me out of the way.

"I have nothing to say to you," I told her as she shut the door.

"Well, I have plenty to say to you," she snapped as she stalked towards me. "You have done nothing but cause problems for my family. I have lost my husband, my son thinks I'm going crazy and won't even allow me to come over here whenever I want, and it's all because of you!" she said as she pushed me.

"You are going crazy," I said, making her backhand me in the face. I stumbled backward and hit my back on the railing of the stairs. "Why would you do that?!" I yelled as I pushed her away from me.

"I hate you, and I want my husband to be proud of me!" she screamed in my face. She grabbed me by the hair and pulled me down the hall. The woman was strong, and the more I fought her, the more I was fueling her fire. I flung my elbows and fists, but even that didn't stop her. I knew I had gotten in a few good hits, though. I had no idea what had gotten into her. My heart started to race when I saw that she was opening the door to the bathroom under the stairs. I slapped and punched at her, but it didn't stop her crazy ass.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I yelled as her fist connected with my stomach, knocking all the wind out of me. Using my moment of stillness to her advantage, Esme slammed the door shut behind her, leaving me in the tiny room alone. I gasped for air as I tried to get to the door. When I caught my breath, I tried and tried to get the door open, but it wouldn't budge. I screamed and kicked at it, but I couldn't get it open.

"ESME!" I yelled as loud as I could.

There was no answer, and there was nothing I could do physically to open the door. I yelled for help and for Edward, even though I knew no one was coming to help me. My stomach turned when I heard Ava crying. Her crying was getting louder and louder. I started slamming my body into the door until I was in pain. I didn't care if I broke every bone in my body; I was getting to my baby one way or the other. With the bathroom being so small, I leaned against the sink for leverage, and using my legs, I kicked at the door. With every kick, I could feel it giving way, but it still wasn't opening. I could still hear Ava crying and I swore I was going to kill Esme if I got my hands on her. After what felt like hours, the bathroom door opened and Edward was there looking flustered with a crying Ava in his arms.

"Give her to me," I begged.

I was happy that he didn't fight me. I let my tears fall as I held her to my chest and sat on the floor of the bathroom. I rocked her back and forth and said I was sorry a thousand times. I waited for her to calm down and fall asleep before I relaxed my muscles. The more I relaxed them, the more I felt the pain sink in. I don't know how long I sat on the floor, but I knew if I sat too much longer, I wasn't going to be able to move. With my sleeping baby still in my arms, I carefully got up, ignoring the pain that shot through my body. I walked to the stairs and headed for my room. I know Edward tried to talk with me, but I had no energy to explain things to him right away. I just wanted to sleep with my baby safe in my arms.

EPOV

I was pretty sure I had everything in place that was needed to take care of my family and my mother. If I talked with my father, I told him what he wanted to hear. Aro said he wasn't getting out of prison any time soon. He took a plea bargain of twenty-five years with the chance of parole. He had given me power of attorney over his money and house, but I going to signing everything over to my mother. I didn't plan on being around for much longer. I needed to get my family and me away from the whole situation. Things had been so stressful with Bella and my mother. Bella thought I wasn't on her side, but there was nothing I could do until I was named power of attorney. Now that everything was said and done, I started to put distance between my mother and my girls. I took Esme's key to my house and told her she wasn't allowed to come by anymore whenever she felt like. The things Bella was telling me were hard to believe. My mother was going through a hard time, and I just couldn't fathom her saying such hateful things to my wife. I thought Bella was exaggerating.

I went to my mom's house because I wanted to see if my dad had saved any of the footage that was being recorded. That, and I wanted to pin point where the cameras were so I could take them down. As I sat at his desk, I was shocked at how easy it was to find what I was looking for. I was sad to see my mother getting into Bella's face every time my back was turned or when I wasn't there. I was even a little ashamed of the way I treated my wife. Doing it and seeing it were two different things. The way I handled her was strange to see. I knew things were getting better between us, but I also knew I would never be normal.

My blood boiled when I saw my mother, more than ten times, hit my daughter. She slapped her numerous times on the hands, and she even spanked her when Bella wasn't in the room. Every time Bella would hear Ava cry, she would come running into the room. That was when my mother seemed to be the most mean to Bella. My mother really needed help, and I needed to be the one to get it for her.

As I sat and wrote down where the cameras could be, I clicked back to the present time. I was making a note to look in a painting that was hanging on the wall when I looked up at the computer to see my mother backhand Bella. I quickly jumped out of my seat and rushed home as fast as I could.

It felt like hours. I felt like no matter how fast I drove, I couldn't get home. It was like a bad dream where you run and run, but can't get away. I knew there was a good chance I would get pulled over, but all I cared about was getting home to my wife and daughter. My mom had gone crazy. My heart raced as my house came into view, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw once I was inside. I heard my daughter screaming her head off. I heard loud banging, and I heard my wife screaming at the top of her lungs.

I found my mother in the living room with my daughter, spanking her bare bottom.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I screamed. My mother looked at me like she was doing nothing wrong. I moved quickly and yanked my daughter away from her. "What is wrong with you?!" My eyes filled with tears as I looked my little girl over. Her little butt and thighs were so red. I put her diaper back on and held her tightly to my chest. Hearing Bella's screams brought me back to the moment. I rushed to the bathroom door and saw that my mother had tied it shut.

"Help me! Help me, please!" Bella yelled. I hoped she realized I was trying, but I think she was past the point of comprehending.

"I'm trying, Baby!" I half yelled. That only made Ava cry harder. I wasn't meaning to upset her, but I needed Bella to hear me.

As soon as I opened the door, Bella about fell out.

"Give her to me," she demanded. I thought twice before I handed her over. I could see that her knuckles were swollen and bleeding, and could see bruises forming on her arms, as well. I knew then that she fought her damndest to get out. As soon as I placed Ava in her shaky arms, she started to cry as she sank to the bathroom floor.

"It's okay, Baby. I promise nothing like this will happen ever again," I said as she held our child tightly to her chest. "I need to go take care of my mother," I told her. I wasn't even sure if she was listening to me. I kissed her on top of her head, but she didn't react at all. I left her there so she could have her moment with our daughter. I was glad to hear Ava's cries quiet down after a few seconds.

As I headed for the front of the house, I saw my mother heading out the door. The bitch was crazy and everything was going to end, now. I grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her back in the house.

"The only place you're going is to a mental hospital," I said angrily.

"Why are you so mad? Because I could do what you were too weak to do? At least I know your father will be proud of me," she said. She knew that would hurt me. She knew I spent my whole life trying to please that man, and I had come to the conclusion that was never going to happen. I had to worry more about pleasing my wife and child.

I got choked up as I called the police. I couldn't believe it had come to such drastic measures. None of this would have happened if someone hadn't kill Charlie. I would still have my parents, my job, and my perfect family. I wouldn't know about my past, but now I had to live in my reality and I hated it. This wasn't my life plan. This wasn't what my father and I had planned for me. Emmett, Jasper, Chief, and two other officers showed up after my call, along with an ambulance. My mother was so far gone that she admitted everything to them. She was taken away with a smile on her face for the fact that she knew my father would be proud of her. As I stood by the door and talked with my ex-fellow officers, Bella came limping out of the hallway.

"Baby," I said as I rushed to her. "I want to take the two of you to the hospital." She didn't even glance at me as she made her way up the stairs. I tried to follow her but Jasper and Emmett stopped me.

"Let her come out of her shock and then try to talk to her," Em said as my eyes filled with tears. I was at my breaking point.

"I don't know what to do," I said as I started to cry like a little bitch.

"I can call Ally…" Jasper started to say.

"No, she needs me, not someone else!" I snapped as more tears came. "I have to be the one that is there. I'm such a failure."

"Do what you need to do, but I'm not leaving this house for the rest of the day," Emmett said as I covered my face. Jasper agreed with him, and they stayed and tried to get me to talk. I couldn't talk, though; I had no idea what to say.

"I need to check on Bella," I said after a while. Emmett said he was going to make some coffee, though I really didn't care what he was going to do.

I headed up the stairs and to my room. I found my girls asleep on my bed. Ava was lying against Bella's chest, gripping her shirt with her little hands. My tears came back at such a sight. I had done this. I had allowed so much to happen to my girls and I didn't think I was ever going to be able to make them feel safe again. Well, maybe Ava, but I doubted Bella would ever feel safe. As I took in the way Bella looked, I let more tears fall. She had big bruises up and down her arms, cuts all over her entire body, and there was large bruise across her cheek. I was afraid to touch her for the fact that I didn't want to hurt her even more. I carefully lay next to her and formed my body to hers. I closed my eyes and I allowed myself to break down one last time before I picked up the pieces that were left of my family.

BPOV

Ava's cries woke me up from my sleep. I knew we had slept for a while because it was dark out. I leaned back in the bed, only to feel Edward next to me. If I hadn't cried out all of my energy, I probably would have broken down again. I tried to move, but my body was in pain and stiff. Ava quieted down as I rubbed her back. I was trying to figure out how to get out of bed, but I didn't think I could without help.

"Edward," I said as I felt him flinch. "Edward, I need you," I said, knowing he always responded to that. I almost smiled when I felt him move.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was more harsh than normal when he first woke up.

"I can't move. Can you take Ava?" I asked as he got off the bed. He leaned down and kissed her head as he brought her to his shoulder.

"Bella, what hurts?"

"Everything," I said as I moaned in pain.

"We should go have you checked out," he said worried.

"I'm just a little stiff. Plus…I really don't want anyone to see me like this," I said as tears filled my eyes. "She's hungry. Please go feed her and I'll be down in a minute."

"But you need me," he said, sounding almost desperate.

"Ava needs you more," I said as he nodded.

When he left the room, I allowed myself to cry one last time over the fact that I couldn't protect my daughter. Who would have thought I would have to protect her from her grandmother? This whole situation was so messed up, and I didn't know how we were going to get over it. As I stretched out my muscles and cried, I heard the door open. I looked over to see that Edward was back without our baby.

"Where is Ava?" I demanded as I flung myself out of the bed. When my legs hit the floor I almost fell. They felt like jelly. "Please tell me she isn't with your mother…please!"

"Bella, please calm down. My mother is gone," he said as I clung to him.

"She can never be around Ava ever again. Please? I know you hate it when I tell you what to do, but she just can't be around her. I know she hurt her; I heard her cries and there was nothing I could do," I cried as Edward held me tightly to him.

"No one is ever going to hurt her again, I promise," he said as he sat on the bed with me. "Ava is with Alice."

"Alice will protect her," I said.

"She will, Baby," he said as he smoothed out my hair. "I'm sorry."

"I don't know what to do," I admitted as I cried into his shirt.

"I don't know either," he said as he lifted my face. "Tell me what you want to do and we'll do it as long as we stay together."

"I never want to see your parents again. I don't want you to see them or talk to them, either. I know that's a crappy thing to ask, but you are a much better person when they don't come around," I said as his eyes filled with tears.

"Okay," he whispered. "As long as you don't leave me, I will cut all ties with them."

There was nothing left for me to say. I knew there was no way for him to cut ties completely, but as long as Ava and I never had to see them again, that would be okay. We needed to be okay. We needed to stick together, because all we had left was each other…

* * *

Um…yeah I don't know what to say about that. The next chapter is the epi. I'll see you next Monday. If you need something to read until then check out my new story that is posting every day, and Bases Loaded that I'm co-writing with teamalltwilight. You can find that story under the name jessandtat.


	27. Chapter 27

Five years later…

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy look what I drawed," Ava said as she ran inside from her first day of kindergarten. She jumped into Edward's lap as she shoved the paper into his face. "I drawed me, you, and Mommy."

"Oh, wow; this is great! I think it needs to be hung up on the refrigerator," he said with a smile. She jumped off of his lap and headed for the kitchen. Edward and I both looked at each other and laughed at how hyper she was.

"I'm going to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner to celebrate her first day, okay?" I asked as he nodded.

"That's fine, but get going. She's probably going to crash early," he said as I nodded.

"Ava, do you want to help me make dinner?"

"No, thank you," she said as she went and sat next to her daddy.

"How was your day?" he asked her.

"Oh my gosh, Daddy, I had so much fun! I'm glad I get to do this every day," she said with so much enthusiasm. "I sit next to Joey and he's my friend."

I stood behind my two favorite people and watched them for a few minutes before heading to the kitchen. It had been a long, hard five years. Every day seemed to be a battle. Carlisle and Esme have both tried their hardest to keep tabs on us, but Edward, for the most part, has kept his promise. Once he knew his mother was taken care of, he cut ties as much as he could. We had to change our number three times. We had no clue how they kept finding out what the new number was, but they did every time. Carlisle would call and say the most horrible things to Edward. I would eavesdrop sometimes, and I even heard Edward wish death upon Carlisle once. He would talk to me a little here and there when it came it Carlisle, but I knew he didn't want me to worry. Little did he know I always worried when it came to the crazy people he called parents.

We put both houses up for sale and stored his parent's belongings. We knew we couldn't keep up with Esme's house. Since Edward held all the power, he made the final decisions. He set up a bank account for his parents for whenever they needed it. He also made sure they had all their money, plus the money from the sale of their house. Aro was the go between man and he was in charge of anything that had to do with them. Last I knew, Edward was pleased with the way Aro was handling things. Edward wouldn't do it anymore and, I was proud of him for that. I felt that after everything they had done, he owed his so-called parents nothing. Edward had many demons that he needed to fight off and he was taking care of things one at a time.

A year after everything had happened, Edward's boss asked him if he would move to Chicago, and we took that as our way out. We agreed that after a year of staying in Forks, it was time for us to start our life. Chicago was where Edward was born, and we took it as a sign that was where we should be. We were going to start over where his life began. His real parents lived there, but they kept their distance. When we first moved into our new house, I ran into his mother while I was at the store with Ava. I knew who she was as soon as I saw her; I would have never been able to forget her.

"Isabella Cullen?" she asked as I nodded. "I'm Elizabeth Masen."

"I know," I said as her eyes filled with tears.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as if she thought I wasn't really standing there.

"Hi!" Ava said with a huge smile.

"Hello there, Princess," she said with a smile.

"Ava, Mommy," she said pointing to herself than to me.

"What a pretty name. I'm Liz," she said sweetly. I really didn't trust sweet people anymore.

"Wiz," Ava said proudly. I couldn't help but to laugh. My daughter was pretty cute.

"She looks just like Edward when he was little," she said as her eyes filled with tears even more. I knew she was going to cry and I wouldn't know how to handle it. Plus, I didn't know what to say. "How is he, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He's well."

"Why are you in Chicago?"

"Um…we live here now. Edward was offered a job and he wanted to come back to where his life began," I told her, knowing I was saying too much.

"That's awesome," she said with a smile. "Um…we gave Edward our number in case we ever wanted to talk…it's still the same."

"Okay," I said with a head nod. Ava yawned as if on cue. "We need to go."

"Oh, of course; I understand. It was very nice to see you," she said to me as I nodded again. That night when Edward came home, I knew I needed to tell him, but I had no idea how. Once Ava was in bed for the night, I stood next to the couch and chewed on the side of my thumb.

"What?" he asked, looking up to me. "Did Carlisle call again?"

"Um…no. Ava and I went to the store today," I told him.

"Ah, yeah; I told you that you could go," he said.

"I know, but I saw someone. I didn't want to be rude," I said as he sat up.

"Who? Did Esme get out?!" he asked, jumping up.

"No…no it was Elizabeth," I said as his eyes went wide.

"Fucking seriously?!"

"Yes, she stopped me. We only spoke for a few minutes," I told him as he stared at me.

"What did she say? Was she mean? Was she rude?" he asked, throwing questions at me.

"No, she was nice enough. She said Ava looked like you and that their number was still the same," I said as I backed away. I never knew how Edward was going to react anymore. Sometimes he would be fine, and then other times he would flip.

"Oh…" he said in response to what I told him. "You didn't make a date with her or promise we would see her again, did you?"

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Good, because I'm not ready to deal with all that yet," he said as I nodded in understanding. "Plus, I don't even know if I would recognize them."

It took him two more years before he was ready to deal with his real parents. I may or may not have kind of put them in the same place at the same time. When Ava was three and a half, I saw Elizabeth again, and Ava told her how we were going to the zoo for Daddy's birthday. She was very excited to see all the animals. I may have mentioned that we were planning on being there at noon. As a mother, I knew if I found out after twenty-five years that my child was alive after being kidnapped, I would want to see for myself that they were okay. That was what I was giving this woman whom I didn't even know. Elizabeth and Tony weren't pushy people, and they respected Edward enough to leave him be. He said years ago he would cross that bridge when he was ready.

He would talk about them once in a while, but I never pushed him. I knew this was something he had to do on his own. Edward didn't want any help from a therapist because he said that was weak. I was pretty sure the weak talk was never going to go away. He needed to be strong for Ava and me. For the most part, I went along with anything he wanted to do. It wasn't often that I would disagree with him. I still asked to go places, and I let him know where and what I was doing every day. I did as I was told and I was still punished if I disobeyed. It wasn't often I defied him. I knew that was a part of him that was not going to go away. He needed the control and I allowed it. I gave him what he needed, and he gave me what I needed. I thought we were a pretty good team.

As we walked around the zoo, I saw Elizabeth and Tony a couple of times. It was Ava who made us run into them.

"Ava! Don't run!" Edward said as our hyper little one took off to the next set of animals. At that point, I thought the two of them had left because I didn't see them again. The next set of animals were the monkeys, and Ava pushed her way in between his parents so she could see through the glass.

"Monkey," Ava said, talking to Edward parents. Tony stared down at our daughter as his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Sir," Edward said to Tony.

"It's alright; she's just excited," Tony said. He looked so much like Edward.

"Ava, you can't run away from me and Mommy," he scolded as he scooped her up in his arms.

"Monkeys, Daddy!" she said, pointing to the glass in front of her.

"I see the monkeys," he said to her.

"Your daughter is beautiful," Tony said as he looked at his son.

"Thank you. I am sorry she pushed through like she did," he said.

"Wiz!" Ava yelled, waving to Elizabeth. "I wuv monkeys," Ava told her as Edward stared at the monkeys. He wouldn't look at anyone. "You wuv monkeys?" Ava asked, looking at the monkeys.

"They're my favorite," Tony said.

"Me, Ava," she said, pointing to herself. "Mommy and Daddy," she said pointing to each of us in turn.

"I'm Tony, and it's very nice to meet you," he said kindly. "Is this your first time here?"

"Yeah; me and Daddy wuv the monkeys and Mommy wuvs elephants," she told Tony. "I wike the fishes, too."

"They are pretty cool," Elizabeth said to her. When I walked up and put my hand on my husband's back, I felt him take a deep breath.

"I hope you get to come here often. Liz and I come here every year on this day. This day thirty-two years ago, we brought our son here for his fifth birthday. A week later, we lost him," Tony said looking to Edward.

"Fine him," Ava said, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"We did," Elizabeth said. I could tell she was going cry.

"Daddy," Ava said, making him look at her. "I hold your hand so I not lost you."

"Okay," Edward whispered. He kissed her cheeks as we went back to watching the monkeys.

"I get down?" she asked as Edward set her on her feet.

"No running," I said to her as she put her face to the glass. I took Edward's hand in mine and he squeezed it. I wrapped myself around his arm so he knew I wasn't going anywhere. We all laughed when a baby monkey came up to the window and pointed at Ava. That made her squeal with excitement.

"He wike me, Daddy!"

"I think he does," Edward said with a laugh. Elizabeth patted Ava's head with her hand before she looked to Edward.

"It was very nice to see you again," she said.

"This has been the best day…" Tony said, taking Elizabeth's hand. "You have a beautiful family." They started to walk away when Ava turned to them.

"We have to see the elephants," she said as they started to walk away.

"And the tigers," Edward added, looking at them.

"We don't want to impose," Tony said, shaking his head. "We respect what you want."

"It's fine," he said, clearing his throat. "I can't make any promises, though."

"We understand," Elizabeth said with a smile.

That was how we got to know his real parents. We would talk in passing, and they came to Ava's birthdays and what not, but we were never able to tell her that they were her grandparents. I don't think either one of us were ready to allow too many people into our lives.

Jasper was still Edward's rock, and for that I would always be grateful. Alice was the one that filled me in on things with the Cullens that I didn't know. I knew Edward didn't tell me a lot of things because he knew I never wanted to hear it, but a part of me needed to know.

Alice was the one to tell me that Esme was released from the hospital. The weeks to follow were horrible. I couldn't sleep or eat. I was waiting for her to show up on my doorstep. Every time the phone rang, I was scared to pick it up. I knew she had found our number somehow, though. We were getting a lot of unknown and private numbers calling several times a day. Those calls didn't start until a week after she was released. I thought that if I didn't answer, she would give up, but she was relentless. I realized that I would rather talk to her than to let Edward do it. He had come a long way in the two years, and I didn't want him going backwards because of her. I knew what I needed to do. I waited for the phone to ring, and when it did, I took a deep breath and answered it.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bella?" Esme asked.

"Don't call here…"

"Just listen," she said in a hurry. "I'm so sorry. I was sick. I'm so sorry."

"Sometimes sorry isn't good enough. I hate you, Esme. I hate you more than I hate my own father!"

"You are an ungrateful child!" she snapped.

"Oh yeah? I have Edward and my daughter — who do you have?" I asked before hanging up the phone. I smiled as I took a deep breath. I picked up the phone to call my husband to let him know it was time to change our number again.

"Hey, Babe," Edward said as he answered.

"I'm just calling to let you know we need to change our number. Is there a way to make it untraceable?" I asked as he sighed.

"I don't know. I'll call and see. Who called?"

"Esme," I said as he sighed again.

"Did you answer?" he asked as I bit my lip. He had told me time and time again not to answer if I didn't know who it was.

"Yes," I said as he groaned.

"Bella, I told you not to."

"I know, but it felt so good to hang up on her," I said with an almost whine to my voice. It made me feel better when I heard him chuckle. I thought for sure there would be a spanking in my near future.

"I've gotta go; we'll talk later," he said.

Like I said before, I never knew how he was going to react. He flipped the most when Carlisle would contact him. That was when I had to deal with the wrath of Edward. That was when I was punished. I took every spanking without complaint because I knew that was what my husband needed when he felt like he was losing control. I needed him to know that he had control over me. Not only that, but I knew if I let him have his time to punish me, he would never hurt Ava. I was grateful that he always kept it together until she was out of the room. I never wanted her to see her father punish me.

Even after five years, he has never done more than small tap to the hand if she touched something she shouldn't. I was more or less the bad guy in Ava's eyes and I was fine with that. I was the one that could remain level headed enough to punish her. Edward and I agreed with that fact. After all this time, we had finally found our balance to make us equal partners in our marriage.

Alice and Jasper were going strong, and they were married before we left Forks. Alice was on cloud nine when she was fully able to give herself to him. He had proven to her time and time again that he was very worthy of her. Jasper was one of the greatest men I knew. He never raised a hand to her, and he never forced himself on her at all. I was happy she found her happiness. I knew she and I were always going to be there for one another if we were needed. Alice and Jasper were also the only aunt and uncle our daughter had. We were still friends with Emmett and Rose, but when we moved, we grew apart. I knew Edward still talked to Emmett once in a while, but that was it as far as their friendship went. I was content with the little family I had for the fact that I knew they would all be there when it counted.

As I finished dinner and put it on the table, Ava came walking in with two outfits.

"Which do you like?" she asked with a big smile.

"The purple one," I said as she sighed.

"That's what Daddy said," she said as she looked at the clothes. "I wish Aunt Ally was here."

"They will come and visit soon. How about if you're not too tired after you eat, we will see if she's on Skype so you can ask her," I suggested as her smile grew.

"Okay, Mommy," she said with a huge smile as she ran out of the dining room.

"I love you," Edward said, scaring me half to death. He wrapped his arms around me as I bent over the table to put a plate down.

"I love you, too," I said as I stood with my back pressed to his chest. I loved our little love moments.

"You're happy, right?" he asked out of nowhere.

"Of course," I said, rubbing his hands. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah…" he said, sounding uncertain.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said more confidently.

"Family hug!" Ava half yelled as she wrapped her little arms around our legs.

"Everything is going to be fine," he said, kissing my cheek.

He was right. Everything was going to be okay, and we were going to have a long and happy life together.

* * *

So that's the end of that. There will be another pov to come, but I'm not sure when and I don't make promises. I'm hitting the complete button because this story is complete. I know there are some unanswered questions, but you will get your answers at some point.

This has been a long and bumpy road as far as this story goes. I have had so many people that have helped with this story. Thanks to Siobhan for her co-writing skills, she only bad this story better. Thanks to toocute24 for being my rock and the best beta I know. Thanks to weekitty for being an amazing sounding board. Thanks to teamalltwilight and krazi4twisaga for keeping me going and positive. All of you are the best bunch of women to work with EVER!

Also, the biggest thank you goes out the reader and all of you that have reviewed!


	28. Chapter 28

Hey! This took a little longer than I thought it would, but I forgot to send it to the amazing toocute24. Anyway, this is the final closure to the story and I hope it was worth the wait.

WARNING! Twisted darkness with this chapter.

* * *

Seven years in jail had flown by. My ungrateful son wouldn't speak to me, and I knew he better thank his lucky stars that I was dying. I wanted to tell my story. I wanted everyone to know what a great man I was. I was sick of everyone thinking I was this horrible man. I only had days left and they were being spent in the infirmary of the prison. I've already said my goodbyes to my perfect wife. I told her that she could never remarry because she would never find someone like me, and I was what she needed. She was making it okay on her own, but I knew she needed help. Years ago, I made plans for Aro to take care of her, and he has not disappointed me. If we wanted to talk about a disappointment, we would have to talk about Edward. That little bastard thought he was better than me and I was the person that plagued his life. After everything I did for him, he wouldn't even speak to me. Little did he know, I knew where he was and how he was doing at all the times. I had my connections, and going to prison didn't dissolve those. I knew that he was letting that little bitch run his life, and he was even giving her a voice in their relationship. What I would give to get my hands on him one more time.

"Mister Cullen, I see you are getting everything and more that you deserve," I heard a woman's snarky voice say.

"The sound of your voice makes my pain worse," I said as she laughed.

"I saw Bella and Edward the other day. I let them know you were half dead and Bella kind of smiled. Although, I was very shocked to see that Edward didn't care at all," she said, getting under my skin.

"Edward is an ungrateful child. Come, sit," I demanded as she did as she was told. It felt good to tell a woman what to do.

"Why did you want me here?" she asked, looking bored.

"I want to go to heaven," I said as she giggled. "I'm going to tell you everything. I'm going to give you all the answers."

"That won't get you into heaven," she said with an eye roll.

"It will. I have accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and I have asked for forgiveness. Now, by telling you, I will go to heaven," I said as she giggled more.

"Whatever makes you die faster."

"You were one nosy bitch once upon a time. What's changed, Hale?" I asked her.

"In my eyes, you and your wife got everything you deserved. Edward and Bella have an amazing life with their amazing little girl. Edward's not the man you made anymore. He still has years to go, but he is getting better," she said, giving me the chance to chuckle.

"Everyone always thought Edward was this poor child who was kidnapped and beaten, but that was never the case. I saved him."

"From what?! Liz and Tony are an amazing couple who are very much a part of their son's life," she said, making me mad. "Liz takes Ava to the zoo, and Edward even let his parents watch her."

"Do you want to hear what I have to say?"

"Not really, but like you said, I'm nosy," she said as she picked at her nails.

"This is for you," I said, handing her a piece of paper. She took it and looked over the names.

"What's this?"

"The start of my story…"

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Cullen," I barked into my phone.

I was not in the mood for this asshole again. I scrubbed my fingers beneath the burning hot water, watching the red from my skin swirl down the drain, never to be seen again. The blood might have been washed away, but the sin still remained.

"Carlisle," the man on the other line said politely. "I assume that it's done?"

I laughed harshly and reached for the soap one more time. I only had a small window of time to work with and with the technology the Police Departments had today, you could never be too careful.

"Of course it's done," I said smugly. "And I will be out of the city within the hour."

The man chuckled and I knew he was pleased. We both were. Scum like that James Hunter had no business walking this Earth. He belonged to the fire pits of hell and it was my job to make sure he got there.

"Very well," he said, "but I have one more job that I think you might be interested in."

I opened my mouth to immediately decline his offer, but Demetri beat me to the punch. "He comes with a young girl — fifteen, if my resources are correct — and I believe she is what you have been looking for, for your young son, Edward."

I forced my mouth closed and exhaled sharply. I wanted nothing more for my son to finally settle down and give my wife and me grandchildren. He was thirty years old and I wasn't getting any younger. Problem was the boy was just like his father and was pickier than what was for his own good. He had very high expectations, and unfortunately in our small town of Forks, Washington, the kind of girl he wanted just didn't grow on trees.

"I'm listening," I sighed.

Demetri knew my weakness and he was using it to his advantage. A young girl of fifteen could hardly defend herself against an abusive man, and he knew that I wouldn't just let that slide. But then throw in the added prospect that she could be what my son needed and was looking for, I was fully in — even if I had just finished a job not two hours earlier.

That was how I found myself standing outside a small, two story home in Portland, Oregon in the early hours of the morning the following day. I drove straight through the night to get there before the poor excuse of a man left for work so that I could assess my next target.

~~~~AOMM~~~~

"Wait a minute," Hale said, interrupting me. "You are the Crusade Killer?"

"I always hated that name, but yes, that was me," I said as her jaw dropped.

"Why would you kill all those people?"

"They were all scum who beat and raped women; I'm not sad they are gone," I said.

"And Bella is the little girl?"

"She was, and I thought she would complete my family, not destroy it," I said, wincing in pain. I was going to forego my meds until I was done talking. "Can I continue?"

"Yeah," she said, sitting up straighter. I knew there was a good girl under her hard complexion.

~~~AOMM~~~~

I pulled up the collar of my jacket to protect my skin from the cold rain that was biting into my flesh. It was fucking freezing, and I was more than ready to be done with this and headed home — preferably with the girl in tow if she was what my son wanted. I wasn't a foolish man, though. I knew that if this went according to plan, it was going to take a lot more time than my usual 'job.' I sighed and looked around the neighborhood, noticing that at night, it would not be very well lit with only two street lamps in between houses. I nodded in satisfaction, knowing that would be used to my advantage when it was time. I crept up the front steps of the porch silently, noticing that there was only one dead bolt and not even a bottom lock on the door knob. I shook my head and chuckled under my breath. People were much too trusting these days.

I looked around the porch, and making sure my gloves were protecting my fingers, I began to feel at the top of the door frame. Not finding anything, I moved to the porch itself and began lifting things here and there, looking under pots of plants and a gnome statue holding a Welcome sign. Not seeing anything there, either, my eyes continued to move around until I caught a covered outlet. I smiled, knowing that I hit the jack pot. Moving carefully around the creaky floorboards, I lifted the outlet and held out my hand just in time for a silver key to fall into my palm. Perfect.

Looking up and seeing the first lights of dawn breaking the horizon, I knew my time here was up for now. The two inhabitants of this house would not start their days for another few hours, so that would allow me to check into my hotel and get a couple hours of sleep before the real work of my job began. I pulled the picture out of the front pocket of my jacket and looked at the face of the girl that I hoped would become an important piece to my family.

"I'll see you soon…Isabella."

~~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"That's really creepy," she said as I shrugged.

"Everyone unfortunately has their own opinions. I helped people—that was what I did," I said as she blew out a huge breath.

"So how did Edward end up getting her?"

"If you stop talking, I'll tell you."

~~~~AOMM~~~~

"I need for you to find a way to get my son here," I said as soon as I heard the line click.

"Business as usual, Carlisle?" Demetri asked.

Unwilling to take my eyes off the girl ahead, I sighed into the phone. "When it comes to my family or my son's happiness, I will never be anything but," I replied harshly.

"Why do we need Edward here exactly?" Demetri asked, finally understanding that I was in no mood for mindless jokes.

"It's time to take that bastard out before he kills her," I griped. "The abuse is getting worse, and your friends have been keeping me informed on his intentions with her. He's up to his eyeballs in debt, and he's about to make the move to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder. He even posted it online and men are coming out of the woodwork. Get Edward here now and make it believable."

~~~~AOMM~~~~~

"Wait, wait, wait," she said annoying the piss out of me. "Is that true, or did you make that up in your own sick head?"

"Listen, little girl, either shut up or leave. Everything I am telling is the truth. Demetri was the one to take down his posting about it. Swan was a sick man. I don't look so bad now, do I?" I asked as she rolled her eyes. Anyway…"

~~~AOMM~~~

I shut my phone roughly and tossed it to the passenger seat of the car I was currently driving. As it was, I was currently following Isabella home from school to make sure she made it safely. The bastard she called her father couldn't even be bothered to make sure she had reliable transportation home in the freezing rain. I had been following her for a few weeks now, and I was happy to see that she was a very scheduled person. At least that was something I wouldn't have to try and ingrain in her. She and her father did practically the same thing every day at the same time. She went to school, she worked, she came home, and she took care of the house and the meals. She was the perfect child, and she would be the perfect wife for my son when that time came.

~~~AOMM~~~~

"So it was you!" Hale said loudly as her eyes grew big. "She wasn't talking about Edward in her journals, she was talking about you!"

"What are you blabbing about now?"

"Bella's journal. She wrote about someone following her and how she was losing sleep. She was talking about you," she said in disbelief.

"I did follow her; I needed to make sure my instincts were right. Swan hit her on her daily and I knew we needed to help her."

"So, in your sick and twisted way, you did."

"Don't be rude," I said harshly.

~~~AOMM~~~

Her abusive background made her the perfect match for my son because we could use that to our advantage. Forcing her alliance to us would be easier than I thought, though it would still require much time and dedication on all of our parts. But, if she was what made my son happy, then there was nothing I wouldn't do for him. Isabella would be his, and I would take out any obstacle standing in his way—starting with her father, Charlie Swan.

"There is an emergency convention in full swing because of the increase in violence. They invited any department that wanted to attend. Edward is here," Demetri rushed out. "What is your plan from there, oh great one?"

I scoffed at his playfulness as I watched Charlie walk into the local police station. Tomorrow, I promised myself as I drove past. Tomorrow that bastard would meet his maker.

"Get him to see her," I demanded, my plan already put into action. "Give him the details. He'll want her," I said surely. "You have the key to her house. Give it to him and I'll take it from there."

"Can I assume that once this is over you will be taking a long vacation?" he asked.

I chuckled darkly and shook my head. "No, Demetri, I will be taking a permanent vacation. My son will need my help, and with her, my family will be complete. My place from now on will be with my wife and son."

Demetri chuckled and I knew he knew it was coming. "Can't say I'm surprised," he admitted. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Carlisle. And you know that if you ever need anything, I am just a phone call away."

"Same with you, my friend," I said, disconnecting the call.

I sighed out in relief as I returned to my hotel room to pack my things. My job here was almost done, and I knew that I would need a quick getaway once the final piece had been put into the ground. I also knew that in less than two hours, I would be receiving a phone call from my son needing advice on what to do about his Isabella. Unpredictable my son was not. I couldn't be more proud of the man he had become.

The next day I got my wish and I took my time with Charles Swan. I cleaned off my knife with my bloodstained handkerchief and laughed at the piece of filth in front of me.

"Why are…you doing this…to me?" he wheezed.

I laughed manically and threw my head back. Was he serious? Looking down on him I, stepped on his already broken rib, hearing additional cracks as I added more pressure.

The broken man beneath me screamed in pain, but there was no one to hear his cries except for me and God. Chuckling, I took my foot off of his chest and circled his slowly dying body. He had multiple stab wounds in his legs and arms, and he had been slowly bleeding out for the last two hours. His breathing was ragged and he was in and out of consciousness every few minutes. It wouldn't be too much longer.

"What?" I mocked. "You don't like pain? You sure do like to inflict it on helpless girls, though, don't you?" I asked him.

"You can dish it but you can't take it; is that it?" I asked as I surveyed our surroundings.

I brought him out to the middle of the woods—much like I had my previous victims—where there was no one to hear us. No witnesses, and more importantly, a place where cleanup was easy.

"The bitch…deserved it," Charlie choked softly.

"Good thing my son and I are here to take care of her," I said as his eyes grew big for just a minute.

I looked down to see blood making its way up from his throat. Shaking my head in disgust at the man before me, I watched as his eyes glazed over, practically feeling his black soul leave his body. He was gone, and he would never hurt Isabella again. I sighed in relief that it was done, and pulled out my phone to check my time. Edward should be getting Isabella into the car any minute now, and as long as he did exactly as I said, he shouldn't run into any problems. I had Demetri keeping an eye on things while I tied up the rest of our loose ends. Moving around silently, I began the mundane task of cleaning up after myself, smiling as I remembered Edward's words to me as he found out about Isabella.

"Dad, I need your help," Edward said breathlessly as I picked up the phone.

"And hello to you, too, Son," I replied calmly, zipping my last bag.

"Is Mom around?" he asked.

I shook my head and looked around the room for any item I may have overlooked. "No, Son," I said gently. "She's in the kitchen. What can I do for you tonight? Are you in Oregon?"

"I am," he whispered. "And I met someone."

I cocked my eyebrow. "Oh?" I asked, sounding intrigued.

"Her name is Isabella and she's perfect," he rushed out. "She's young, very young, but she's in a very bad position…"

Knowing that he was going to need me to prod further, I pressed him. "Define bad position," I said.

I could hear him swallow and knew that he was trying to reign in his emotions. "Her father beats her. Badly. I'm afraid that if I don't do something now, he is going to wind up killing her…and soon."

I pretended to think for a moment before I spoke. "And you are sure about this?" I asked.

"Positive, Sir. I've watched her the entire day and have seen it for myself."

"And you feel like this girl could be important to you?" I pressed.

"I'm going to marry her," he said surely.

I nodded, knowing that my son was nothing but thorough. I honestly couldn't be more proud. My son was finally going to be settling down, and he could not have picked a more perfect girl for him.

"Very well," I said. "Text me the location coordinate and wait for my signal. When I say go, you get her and leave the area immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir," he replied gratefully. "I owe you one."

I chuckled and shook my head. "You owe me nothing," I said gently. "If she is important to you, then I know she will be important to us. I'm proud of you, Son."

"Thanks, Dad."

~~~AOMM~~~

"So you told him how to get Bella to go with him? All this time I thought for sure he did all this on his own. It makes sense now that neither one of them could ever answer my questions," Hale said as she sat back in her seat.

"Edward couldn't do anything without my say so. He was a good boy, once upon a time."

"You loved control," she said, narrowing her eyes at me.

"I still do. I'm controlling you right now," I said as she rolled her eyes again.

"I can leave whenever I wish. I, unlike you, am free," she said, making me glare at her.

"Fine, go and I won't tell you about Esme," I said as she crossed her arms over her perfect tits. "You want to know, don't you?"

"Fine," she said with a huff.

~~~AOMM~~~~

After my thoughts of my perfect son and our phone call, I headed back to my car. I stopped short as I bent down to pick up a finger with my gloved hands. How in the hell did that fly all the way over here? I wondered. Shrugging, I threw the finger back to the corpse a few feet away, thankful that I did a wide sweep of the area; otherwise, I would have missed that minor detail.

"Blood splatter is a bitch," I chuckled, looking at the line of deep red that ran from Charlie Swan's body all the way to the trunk of the tree I was standing beside.

That had to be at least five feet.

"A new record," I mused.

I guess my anger got away from me on this one and I went a tiny bit overboard. Knowing that there was nothing else to be done, I quickly retraced my footsteps and began the long walk back to my rental car. My job was done, and it was time for me to get back to Washington to set things up before Edward returned with Isabella. I was going to finally give him the house I bought for him. I knew he was going to be so excited. I made sure I had all my cameras set up so I could watch their every move. Like I said before, Edward did nothing without me knowing.

I smiled internally as my thoughts took me back to my son and how desperate he sounded at getting the girl away from her father and with him. They both were going to be very easy to train in my way of thinking, and in the end, it would make their lives a lot easier. In the Cullen family, there was no such thing as a divorce. The men led the family with iron fists and open hearts. The women were well taken care of and knew their places in their households. Each party was happy, and that was the way it was supposed to be.

About a mile into my hike I couldn't help but think of the ways I would help Edward train Isabella. She probably wouldn't need a strong hand the way Esme did, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared, either. I silently adjusted my growing cock as I thought back to Esme's training days. Honestly, I lived for the thrill of training Esme, but where she was now was even better. She was a wonderful mother and a perfect wife who knew her place. She obeyed my every command, and her main focus in life was to make me happy. In return, I saw to her happiness and she never went without.

"Who owns you?" I bit out, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.

My little spitfire threw a hell of a right hook, but that wasn't going to fly in my house.

"Nobody!" Esme shrieked, fighting against her restraints that I ended up putting her in after her punch. "I'm a grown fucking woman!"

I chuckled darkly and shook my head, moving my hand so fast that she didn't have a prayer of seeing it coming her way. The crack of my flesh meeting hers resounded in the room as her head flew to the side, a red hand print immediately springing up onto her sweet skin.

"Try again," I whispered harshly, gripping her hair tightly in my fist.

I watched as her head bowed, tears falling from her eyes onto the hardwood floor.

"Nobody," she whispered.

I smiled at her and knew that her time for fighting was coming to an end.

"You're only sixteen," I whispered to her, running my fingers through her hair. "You just lost your baby that was placed inside your womb through rape by a man that didn't love you. He didn't want you. He didn't deserve you," I said gently, not stopping my ministrations of playing with her hair even though she moved her head from side to side to try and avoid my fingers.

"Royce loved me," she sobbed.

"Royce was your father who raped you for the last four years! He beat you so that you would lose your son because he knew it was wrong!" I countered sharply, wrapping my fingers around her hair and pulling tightly so that she was forced to look up. "I'm trying to give you a second chance at life. A second chance for a family. I'm going to give you everything you ever wanted if you'll just behave."

"You took me from my home," she whispered. "You hit me. You're no better than him."

Reaching the car, I quickly hopped in and started the ignition. I shook my head at my first memory of my time with Esme, but knew that was just the tip of the ice berg with her. Esme and Isabella came from two completely different backgrounds, though. Isabella was tame. She needed control. She thrived on it. She just didn't know it yet. Esme needed to be taught to need the control. The dominance. And that's where my son would have an easier time with his soon-to-be-bride.

~~~AOMM~~~

"So you kidnapped Esme, too," Hale mused.

"Kidnapped is an ugly word. I saved her," I said as she chuckled. "I gave her the family she always wanted."

"In your mind you were always the good guy doing what you could for others?" she asked.

"I always thought of others before myself," I said as she laughed again.

"Sure," she said standing. I knew she was leaving. "Do you really think that confessing all of this is going to get you into heaven?"

"Yes. According to the bible, I have followed all the steps to be forgiven," I said as she sighed and shook her head.

"Well, I'm going to go…"

"Don't you want to hear about Edward?" I asked as she halted her movements. Nosy bitch.

"Carlisle, at this point, Edward isn't a concern of mine," she said. "He's back with the parents that deserve a son, a daughter-in-law, and the most perfect granddaughter. I can only imagine what you did to Edward."

"He was easy to break. He was a people pleaser. I took him from his bed and kept him away from people for two weeks. I had to leave Esme locked in our room for the whole time, but I told her the reward would be great. Do you want to know what I did to Edward to break him so quickly?" I asked.

"No," she said as she headed for the door.

"I beat the piss out of that little boy. I made him sleep on the floor with no pillows or blankets. Whenever he would talk, I would slap him in the face. It only took three slaps to get him to learn. I used to make him say he loved me and that I was the best daddy ever before I would comfort him. He was such a good boy," I said as Hale's eyes filled with tears.

"That doesn't make sense! Why Edward? He wasn't in an abusive home or anything like that. He didn't need your twisted saving methods," she said, getting angry.

"He had features similar to Esme. They had the same unique eye color, and I knew he was meant to be our son," I said as she huffed.

"Why didn't you have your own kid?"

"Because Royce, Esme's father, beat her so badly that she could never have children. Like I said, I would have given my wife anything she wanted," I said as Hale glared at me.

"Rot in hell, you son-of-a-bitch!" she yelled before storming out.

I smiled, feeling lighter. I had said everything I needed to say. I was ready to go with the angels.

* * *

Well, I hope this answered more of your questions. I know this may have been hard to get through, but I hope it gave more closure to the story. Thanks for reading!

Here is the next story to come:

Title: Raising Ashlynn

Summary: Bella meets a man who in one night leaves her body humming for more. What should she do when the next time she sees him, he is dropping off his daughter, begging her to keep her. With an odd sense of obligation, a person who never saw herself as a parent—is now moving across country with a child who thinks Bella is her mother.

Teaser:

"Anthony, what are you doing here?" I asked seeing his sleeping daughter in his arms.

"I need you to keep Lynny, please. If anyone asks just tell them you're watching your boyfriend's kid. I have all the paperwork you will need. Please, I need you to help me," he begged. He didn't even give me time to answer before he thrust his kid into my arms. I took the sleeping kid with confusion. "I put enough money in your account to take care of both of you. It should last until I get back."

"How long are you going to be gone?" I asked as he ran from my door to his car giving me everything but a bed for this little girl. "You need to answer my questions!"

"I can't explain. Tell me your social…"

"Fuck you!"

"Tell me so I can find you," he said staring into my eyes.

"How long are you going to be gone?"

"I don't know a few years…"

"A few years!"


End file.
